Indie Debuts: August /September 2022 - Shelf Unbound by Shelf Media Group

AUGUS T / SEPTEMBER 2022 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

Indie Debuts FEATURING

Kim Hooper Demisty Bellinger N.E Davenport Judith F. Brenner Thuy Da Lam

WHAT TO READ NEXT IN INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING

OUR STORY

S H E LF

U N B O U N D

M A G A Z I N E All we wanted was a really good magazine. About books. That was full of the really great stuff. So we made it. And we really like it. And we hope you do, too. Because we’re just getting started.

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The Hive.

By Melissa Scholes Young

A STORY OF SURVIVAL, SISTERS, AND SECRETS.

Shelf Unbound Staff. PRESIDENT, EDITOR IN CHIEF Sarah Kloth PARTNER, PUBLISHER Debra Pandak COPY EDITOR Molly Niklasch CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Megan Lord V. Jolene Miller Christian Brown Alyse Mgrdichian Gabriella Guerra Wyatt Bandt Christina Consolino Michele Mathews Anthony Carinhas FINANCE MANAGER Jane Miller

For Advertising Inquiries: e-mail sarah@shelfmediagroup.com For editorial inquiries: e-mail media@shelfmediagroup.com

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1877: A NORTHERN PHYSICIAN IN SOUTHERN UNGOVERNED SPACES

Colonel Charles Noble is a US Civil War veteran, and an Army surgeon reservist, who is recommissioned by the government eleven years after the war. Extreme violence in the former Confederacy, in anticipation of a national election, has caused President Grant to send additional federal troops to the Southern states. Dr. Noble uses his Army deployment as an opportunity to help heal the wounds and afflictions of Southern US citizens. However, terrorists are determined to counter Noble’s good intentions, as they threaten the civil rights, and the very lives, of all who oppose them.

1918: THE GREAT PANDEMIC Major Edward Nobel’s mission, as a physician, is to help protect American troops from infectious ailments during the First World War. However, his unique vantage point in Boston allows him to detect an emerging influenza strain that is an unprecedented global threat. Noble desperately tries to warn and prepare the country for the approaching horror. Influenza’s effect on the world, nation, and Dr. Noble’s own family unfolds as medical science seeks ways to somehow stop it. Eventually, the 1918 influenza pandemic killed up to 100 million people, and became the worst natural disaster in human history.

1980: THE EMERGENCE OF HIV Dr. Arthur Noble is a brilliant first-year medical resident in San Francisco, who has a stellar career ahead of him. However, all of Noble’s skills are put to the test when he encounters a strange new illness. The ailment seemingly appears out of nowhere, and delivers its victims a most horrible merciless death. Dr. Noble struggles to find answers to the medical mystery, even as many researchers and society refuse to believe that it is a serious public health hazard, or that it even exists.

LEARN MORE AT

WWW.DAVIDCORNISHBOOKS.COM

CONTENTS

I N TH IS

ISSUE

SECTIONS 36 Bookstagram 41 Recommended Reading 74 Book Shelf 80 Indie Catalog 116 Indie Bookstore 120 Indie Reviews 134 On Our Shelf

COLUMNS 62 Girl Plus Book Megan Lord 92 Small Press Reviews Sean Malone 106 Podster Gabrielle Guerra 112 Pride & Publishing Chrissy Brown 114 Reading on the Run V. Jolene Miller 118 Fit Lit Christian Brown

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FEATURES 11 Interview: Judith F. Brenner On Her Debut Novel, The Moments Between Dreams By Michele Mathews 19 16 New & Upcoming Memoirs to Discover By Alyse Mgrdichian 56 Interview: N.E Davenport On Her Debut Novel, The Blood Trial By Wyatt

Bandt

66 Historical Fiction & Partition By Alyse

Mgrdichian

72 Sandwiches as an ‘Excuse’ for Literacy Month By Wyatt Bandt

86 Interview: Demisty Bellinger

Debut Author of, New to Liberty By Michele Mathews

94 From Dissertation to Debut Novel: An Interview with Thuy Da Lam By Alyse Mgrdichian 100 [Expletive] Censorship: The

Importance of Banned Books Week By Wyatt Bandt

130 Interview: Kim Hooper By Michele Mathews

A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER

Indie Debuts. BY SARAH KLOTH, PUBLISHER

There are few things more exciting to me discovery an amazing a new voice in indie publishing. Over the years we have seen many of the indie authors from issues past go from unknown debuts to worldwide sensations. Here's to another debut issue we hope to look back on and celebrate each authors success. Be sure to check out our feature "16 New & Upcoming Memoirs" on page 19 to discover new and compelling stories that are sure to make

you see the world a little differently. In this issue we sit down with new authors about their indie debuts include Judith F. Brenner the author of The Moments Between Dreams, N.E. Davenport the author of The Blood Trial, Thuy Da Lam author of Fire Summer, and Demisty Bellinger author of New to Liberty. We also have exclusive excerpts of new indie debuts to get a sneak peek on titles releasing the coming months. Enjoy the issue!  7

A unique page-turning adventure every fan of the paranormal will love. A Knock in the Attic—my second award-winning book—is, as Uri Geller stated, “a fascinating true story of incredible psychic experiences.”

In these entertaining and adventure filled stories I’ll tell you what it was like to grow up with a powerful and accurate psychic gift that sometimes spooked the adults around me, leaving them bug-eyed and slackjawed; and I’ll relate some of the emotions I experienced while encountering hair-raising visitations from ghosts on a regular basis. I’ll share with you the times when my own Guardian Angels not only protected me from physical harm but when they also literally saved my life with a belated Christmas Miracle, to the astonishment of others who said I had lived through the impossible. Travel with me to Roswell where I have my very own “’UFO’ encounter” at the Roswell UFO Museum, an encounter that validated the fact that the Roswell UFO crash was a real event and also explained why many witnesses to UFOs are reluctant to come forward. Plus: I’ll tell you what it was like to meet Uri Geller; give you a behind-the-scenes look at filming the TV pilot for The History Channel; take you along with me to a haunted horse barn; and then...what was that knocking in the attic...? You’ll enjoy more than a few spine-tingling moments as you join me to experience these astonishing true stories of the unknown...incredible paranormal events that you will not soon forget FIND OUT MORE AT: WWW.AKNOCKINTHEATTIC.NET 8

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BLACK, White And Gray All Over

“

Enlightening. Explosive. Sensational. Revealing. Humorous. Tongue-in-cheek. But most of all, Heartbreaking.

”

From shootouts and robberies to riding in cars with pimps and prostitutes, Frederick Reynolds’ early manhood experiences in Detroit, Michigan in the 1960s foretold a future on the wrong side of the prison bars.

www.authorfrederickreynolds.com

Three Great Reads Wolf is a Four-letter Word

When you’re immortal, life is eternally complicated. Kellan Faolanni, half-wolf shapeshifter, is a member of a secret society called the Sankhain who guard an invisible fountain of youth outside Madison, Wisconsin. Her superiors have discovered a man killed by what appears to be a wolf pack, not exactly a normal sight for modern-day Madison. As Kellan is the only shapeshifter in town, this murder seems to be directed at her. Is it a message from Kellan’s twin, who defected from the Sankhain months ago? Or is it some new, even more sinister threat?

Pawns and Phantoms

Todd Malcolm would be the first person to tell you that he’s no Basil Stark. He’s just a bouncer, part-time detective’s assistant, and brawler who does his best to get by on the mean streets of 1950s Everland. But when Todd gets mixed up in an arson one night, he’s thrown in over his head. Does Todd have what it takes to handle this case, or is he just a pawn in a dangerous plot?

The Rosetta Man

Estlin Hume was living off-grid on 12 acres outside of Twin Butte, Alberta when he got snagged into being translator for first contact. Home again, he wakes to find himself surrounded by aliens, affectionate squirrels, government representatives, and military personnel. That’s nothing new. But he hadn’t planned on hosting one thousand three hundred and sixty-one cuttlefish in a massive saltwater tank suspended above his house! Stuck at the center of the alien contact crisis, Estlin is challenged by ill-advised directives from government officials, trenchant military interference, and random acts of violence from unknown nefarious agents—all of whom are determined to find out for themselves what the aliens really want.

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www.edgewebsite.com

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW: Judith F. Brenner On Her Debut Novel THE MOMENTS BETWEEN DREAMS. BY MICHELE MATHEWS

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On May 17, Judith Brenner released her first fiction novel called The Moments Between Dreams. In a recent interview, I learned more about Judith and the inspiration behind her historical fiction novel. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.

JB: I’m a Chicago native who started a career in journalism at ABC Cap Cities for a few trade publications before switching to public relations in the healthcare field. Before becoming a mother of two daughters, I did global PR for a Fortune 500 company. Traveling internationally was a highlight, having visited Bangkok, Belgium, London, Italy, and Amsterdam. Motherhood called me home to launch a freelance editing company so that I could set my own hours and write or edit while the girls were in school. YOU’VE WRITTEN NONFICTION BOOKS AND ESSAYS. WOULD YOU SHARE SOME DETAILS?

JB: I was lucky to have essays published on topics that disturbed or challenged me, and I thought others could relate. For example, I’ve written about watching your child not make 12

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a sports team called “The Tryout Blues;” my disappointment in the essay, “When Friends Cancel, Eat Quiche;” and “Giving Up a Career for Motherhood,” when confronted with raised eyebrows for my choice to push my girls on swings rather push publicity for a company. I leaned on my metallurgy knowledge from past trade journalism to take on publishing Sharpeners Report, a national entrepreneur media company where I produced five books on how to sharpen blades, from beauty/barber and pet grooming tools to woodworking tools. I met men and women at trade shows who have a passion for this. They keep their community businesses and residents’ tools sharp so they are more productive. Life is never dull! THE MOMENTS BETWEEN DREAMS IS A FICTION NOVEL. WHAT IS IT LIKE SWITCHING FROM NONFICTION WRITING?

JB: The foundation of writing fiction came with classes in undergrad school, then later at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and Iowa University’s Mini-MFA workshop program. I waited to tackle fiction so that I could tap into my experience after better understanding the human condition.

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Storytelling is best for me as a fiction writer when I can channel personal experience onto the page, exaggerating emotions I’ve had—joy, anger, fear, and concern—and write entertaining prose inspired by kernels of truth. DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING PROCESS.

JB: To avoid procrastination, I block out time on my calendar. I re-read where I left off, asking myself, how can this be stronger and shorter? Verbose passages may get highlighted, then smacked with the delete key. When I’m unsure, I’ll save a scene in a document called “Chapter X Cuts.” Next, it’s time to create, writing fast and editing later. I also meet monthly with a writing group, sharing a few pages for a critique by beta readers. The next week, if I get stuck about what happens next in a scene, I’ll take a long bike ride and, perhaps like an actor, allow myself to become my character. What would he/she do next? Plotting while cycling or weeding the garden has worked for me. TELL US HOW YOUR MOTHER’S POLIO EXPERIENCE INSPIRED YOU.

JB: As a child, I heard all about my mom’s surgeries during her childhood,

starting at age six. She wanted others to know her struggles and how lucky we are to be born in an era of vaccines for the poliovirus. I carefully researched medical treatments provided in the 1940s that correlated with my mother’s memories. The character Ellie struggles to get around, reflecting times when my mom had to learn to walk again and again after summer surgeries moved muscles and tendons in her limbs. She spent many summers in casts sitting on her porch, watching others play. I also observed my mom being discriminated against when she applied for jobs in Chicago. People would stare at her limping gait. Our church didn’t construct a ramp once she was wheelchair bound, forcing her to pray at home. I wanted my novel to show how tough it was to get around snowy streets with curbs or no railings on steps before the federal government passed the Americans Disability Act. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS SO PREVALENT IN TODAY’S SOCIETY. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO INCORPORATE THIS TOPIC INTO THE MOMENTS BETWEEN DREAMS? . 13

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JB: My grandmother had a terrible marriage, which was revealed when I asked her what it was like to raise a child with polio. Her stories always started with something sad that had more to do with her controlling spouse. She wasn’t specific, but knowing she could not drive or wear makeup when my grandfather was ABOUT THE BOOKS living was so maddening to me, I started noticing women’s rights issues and became more cognizant of news reports about jealous lovers killing their ex partners. True crime TV shows, like Forensic Files, often depict death by intimate partner violence. In college, when I dated a man with a temper, it was a red flag, and I broke it off. I was forced to find a new set of friends to avoid confrontation. Much later in life, I accompanied a friend for safety reasons when she had to meet a spouse to drop off paperwork related to their split. After the divorce, she left the state to seek safety with family. Another friend has a spouse who carries a gun who is often unnecessarily angry with her, and it spooks both of us, so we check in often. My congregation posts signs on the back of bathroom stalls noting a domestic violence hotline to call. To me, this outreach is all too secret, pushing forward a stigma of shame, 14

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and I wanted to bring the topic into the light, make it normal to check in with people if you see an unexplained injury. HOW MUCH RESEARCH DID YOU DO FOR THE NOVEL?

JB: I spent weeks gathering statistics of historic and current polio cases, reading archives of the Chicago Tribune, and gathering military records of my grandfather to understand how to write about Navy terminology and the WWII draft. I also read books about polio and the treatments and a nonfiction book by Rachel Louise Snyder, No Visible Bruises. I followed a private group with permission where women post about leaving abusive relationships. Some couldn’t leave because of custody battles over the children and financial complications. I attended webinars by government county advocates and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) to understand current trends and resources.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE PUBLISHED YOUR FIRST NOVEL?.

JB: Fantastic! It’s rewarding to see The Moments Between Dreams novel on shelves at bookstores

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and at Strand, a bookstore inside Terminal B at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. There is also an ebook and audiobook. I’m thrilled readers or listeners will know certain common issues in the past are still present today. People faced fear of a virus, didn’t understand how it spread initially, didn’t have a treatment at first, and don’t always know what goes on behind closed doors in a family. We need to talk about these fears unashamed. I am hopeful this book allows people to start conversations. WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR MORE FICTION NOVELS?

JB: I’m excited to have started one with the working title, The Music Between Dreams, a sequel with the character Ellie becoming a folk singer in the 1960s. Her mother Carol and Sam and brother Tom will have cameo appearances. The protagonist, Ellie, gains early success as a singer with a wide fan base similar to Joni Mitchell, who had polio, only Ellie is going to be taking some risks to make it big that threaten to sideline her career and may put her in a wheelchair for life. Vocal fans of her albums and the paparazzi will add

joy and complications to the story. Separately, I have an idea to write a young adult novel that will help girls and boys notice abusive red flags and embark on healthy relationships. I also hope to dust off my children’s books and get them out into the world! 

THE MOMENTS BETWEEN DREAMS A story of hope, courage, and perseverance Carol misses red flags about Joe’s need for control before she marries him, dashing her dreams for herself and her family. Trouble escalates after their daughter Ellie is paralyzed by the polio virus and Joe returns from WWII. Carol realizes how brutal waking life can be, and she conceals bruises and protects her children the best she can. The Moments Between Dreams is a captivating story of a 1940s housewife who conforms to the rulebook of society until Joe pushes her too far. His constant intimidation shrinks Carol’s confidence while she tries to boost Ellie’s. Church-going neighbors in Carol’s tight-knit Polish community are complacent, but Sam, a handsome reporter, stirs up Carol’s zest for life. Despite impossible circumstances, Carol plans a secret escape. Along a risky path, she empowers her daughter to know no limits and teaches her son to stop the cycle of violence and gender discrimination. 15

STREETS OF TEARS by Larry J Hilton

The author takes the Viennese family of Viktor Baur through the turbulent years of World War I, the difficulties of feeding the family when money was worthless after the war, then followed closely by the Depression with so many people out of work.With all of this going on in Austria, Austrians could look over the border at their German neighbors and see their country improving under Hitler and the Nazis. Viktor is a successful banker and could see how the German economy was improving and that many Austrians were demanding Anschluss with Germany. However, Viktor was a strong Austrian, who had fought in the Great War and was concerned about the dictatorship with Hitler. The story then focuses on Viktor’s two children. Fritz and the younger daughter, Elke who are both caught up in the Hitler “magic.” Too often we read about the great events in history and concentrate on the people in power, forgetting that decisions made at high levels in government effect all individuals such as the Baur family.

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Doggerel: Really Bad Poems These almost 500 poems are broken down into seven categories: Life, Love, Sin, Sex, Nature, death and God. “Doggerel: Really Bad Poems, is a fresh, unique collection of poems about human life in all its facets. They speak of something personal within each of us…like happiness, sadness, pain, growing older, success, and heartache—even heaven and hell.” - Reader Views

“…this book is recommended to those who like to delve into the nitty-gritty of existence and the many emotions these experiences can elicit. I would particularly appeal to those who appreciate nononsense writing, and glimpses of lives other than their own.” - Book Review Directory

F E AT U R E

16 New & Upcoming Memoirs to Discover. BY ALYSE MGRDICHIAN

MEMOIRS ARE, TO ME, A MAGICAL THING― THEY OFFER US A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIVES AND EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS, BROADENING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AND STRENGTHENING OUR CAPACITY FOR EMPATHY. SINCE AUGUST 31ST IS OFFICIALLY “WE LOVE MEMOIRS DAY,” I THOUGHT IT’D BE FITTING TO SHARE A LIST OF 16 NEW AND UPCOMING MEMOIRS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER! I HOPE THAT, BY THE END, YOUR TBR HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE BIGGER―I KNOW MINE HAS.

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WAR AND ME: A MEMOIR BY FALEEHA HASSAN AND WILLIAM HUTCHINS (TRANSLATOR)

An intimate memoir about coming of age in a tight-knit working-class family during Iraq’s seemingly endless series of wars. Faleeha Hassan became intimately acquainted with loss and fear while growing up in Najaf, Iraq. Now, in a deeply personal account of her life, she remembers those she has loved and lost. As a young woman, Faleeha hated seeing her father and brother go off to fight, and when she needed to reach them, she broke all the rules by traveling alone to the war’s front lines–just one of many shocking and moving examples of her resilient spirit. Later, after building a life in the US, she realizes that she will coexist with war for most of the years of her life, and so chooses to focus on education for herself and her children. In a world on fire, she finds courage, compassion, and a voice. A testament to endurance and a window into unique aspects of life in the Middle East, Faleeha’s memoir offers an intimate perspective on something wars can’t touch–the loving bonds of family. MAKING A SCENE BY CONSTANCE WU

From actor Constance Wu, a powerful and poignant memoirin-essays. Growing up in the friendly suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, Constance Wu was often scolded for having big feelings or strong reactions. ‘Good girls don’t make scenes,’ people warned her. And while she spent most of her childhood suppressing her bold, emotional nature, she found an early outlet in local community theater—it was the one place where big feelings were okay—were good, even. Acting became her refuge, her touchstone, and eventually her 19

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vocation. At eighteen she moved to New York, where she’d spend the next ten years of her life auditioning, waiting tables, and struggling to make rent before her two big breaks: the TV sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and the hit film Crazy Rich Asians. Through raw and relatable essays, Constance shares private memories of childhood, young love and heartbreak, sexual assault and harassment, and how she ‘made it’ in Hollywood. Her stories offer a behind-the-scenes look at being Asian American in the entertainment industry and the continuing evolution of her identity and influence in the public eye. Making a Scene is an intimate portrait of pressures and pleasures of existing in today’s world. MAY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS: A MEMOIR BY BROOKE SIEM

An unforgettable memoir about the turmoil of antidepressant withdrawal and the work it takes to unravel the stories we tell ourselves to rationalize our suffering. Brooke Siem was among the first generation of minors to be prescribed antidepressants. Initially diagnosed and treated in the wake of her father’s sudden death, this psychiatric intervention sent a message that something was pathologically wrong with her and that the only ‘fix’ was medication. As a teenager, she stepped into the hazy world of antidepressants just at the time when she was forming the foundation of her identity. For the following fifteen years, every situation she faced was seen through the lens of

brokenness. A decade and a half later, still on the same cocktail of drugs, Brooke found herself hanging halfway out her Manhattan high-rise window, calculating the time it would take to hit the ground. As she looked for breaks in the pedestrian traffic patterns, a thought dawned on her: ‘I’ve spent half my life—and my entire adult life—on antidepressants. Who might I be without them?’

Unfurled against a global backdrop, May Cause Side Effects is the gripping story of what happened when, after fifteen years and 32,760 pills, Brooke was faced with a profound choice 20

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that plunged her into a year of excruciating antidepressant withdrawal and forced her to rebuild her entire life. An illuminating memoir for those who take, prescribe, or are considering psychiatric drugs, May Cause Side Effects is an honest reminder that the road to true happiness is not mapped on a prescription pad. Instead, Brooke’s story reveals the messy reality of how healing begins at the bottomless depth of our suffering, in the deep self-work that pushes us to the edges of who we are.” *It is important to note that, should one be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, they should consult with their doctor before starting or stopping any form of medication— antidepressants are not always necessary, like in Brooke’s case … but they are in other cases, like my own. TOKEN BLACK GIRL: A MEMOIR BY DANIELLE PRESCOD

Racial identity, pop culture, and delusions of perfection collide in an eye-opening and refreshingly frank memoir by fashion and beauty insider Danielle Prescod. Danielle Prescod grew up Black in an elite and overwhelmingly white community, her identity made more invisible by the whitewashed movies, television, magazines, and books she and her classmates voraciously consumed. Danielle took her cue from the world around her and aspired to shrink her identity into that box, setting increasingly poisonous goals. She started painful and damaging chemical hair treatments in elementary school, began depriving herself of food when puberty hit, and tried to control her image through the most unimpeachable, impeccable fashion choices. Those obsessions led her to relentlessly pursue a career in beauty and fashion–the eye of the racist and sexist beauty standard storm. Assimilating was hard, but she was practiced. And she was an asset. Their ‘Token Black Girl.’ Toxic, sure. But Danielle was striving to achieve social cache and working her way up the ladder of coveted media jobs, and she 21

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looked great, right? So what if she had to endure executives’ questions, like ‘What was it like to drive to school from the ghetto?’ Or coworkers’ eager curiosity to know if her parents were on welfare. But after decades of burying her emotions, resentment, and true self, Danielle turned a critical eye inward and confronted the factors that motivated her self-destructive behaviors. Sharp witted and bracingly candid, Token Black Girl unpacks the adverse effects of insidious white supremacy in the media–both unconscious and strategic–to tell a personal story about recovery from damaging concepts of perfection, celebrating identity, and demolishing social conditioning.

DEER CREEK DRIVE: A RECKONING OF MEMORY & MURDER IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA BY BEVERLY LOWRY

The stunning true story of a murder that rocked the Mississippi Delta and forever shaped one author’s life and perception of home. In 1948, in the most stubbornly Dixiefied corner of the Jim Crow south, society matron Idella Thompson was viciously murdered in her own home: stabbed at least 150 times and left face-down in one of the bathrooms. Her daughter, Ruth Dickins, was the only other person in the house. She told authorities a Black man she didn’t recognize had fled the scene, but no evidence of the man's presence was uncovered. When Dickins herself was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, the community exploded. Petitions pleading for her release were drafted, signed, and circulated, and after only six years, the governor of Mississippi granted Ruth Dickins an indefinite suspension of her sentence, and she was set free. In Deer Creek Drive, Beverly Lowry—who was ten at the time of the murder and lived mere miles from the Thompsons’ home—tells a story of white privilege that still has ramifications today, and reflects on the brutal crime, its aftermath, and the ways it clarified her own upbringing in Mississippi. 22

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A HOLE IN THE WORLD: FINDING HOPE IN RITUALS OF GRIEF AND HEALING BY AMANDA HELD OPELT

When did we forget how to grieve well? When Amanda Held Opelt suffered a season of loss— including three miscarriages and the unexpected death of her sister, New York Times bestselling writer Rachel Held Evans—she was confronted with sorrow she didn't know to how face. Opelt struggled to process her grief and accept the reality of the pain in the world. She also wrestled with some unexpectedly difficult questions: What does it mean to truly grieve and to grieve well? Why is it so hard to move on? Why didn’t my faith prepare me for this kind of pain? And what am I supposed to do now? Her search for answers led her to discover that past generations embraced rituals that served as vessels for pain, aiding in the process of grieving and healing. Today, many of these traditions have been lost as religious practice declines, cultures amalgamate, death is sanitized, and pain is averted. In this raw and authentic memoir of bereavement, Opelt explores the history of human grief practices and how previous generations have journeyed through periods of suffering. She explores grief rituals and customs from various cultures, including: • the Irish tradition of keening, or wailing in grief, which teaches her that healing can only begin when we dive headfirst into our grief • the Victorian tradition of post-mortem photographs, and how we struggle to recall a loved one as they were • the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva, which reminds her to rest in the strength of her community even when God feels absent • the tradition of mourning clothing, which set the bereaved apart in society for a time, allowing them space to honor their grief As Opelt explores each bereavement practice, it gives her a framework for processing her own pain. She shares how, in spite of her doubt and anger, God met her in the midst of 23

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sorrow and grieved along with her, and shows that when we carefully and honestly attend to our losses, we are able to expand our capacity for love, faith, and healing. BROWN ENOUGH: TRUE STORIES ABOUT LOVE, VIOLENCE, THE STUDENT LOAN CRISIS, HOLLYWOOD, RACE, FAMILIA, AND MAKING IT IN AMERICA BY CHRISTOPHER RIVAS

These pages are full of honest explorations of love, sex, fake-it-till-you-make-it ambition, bad Spanish, color, codeswitching, white-washing, scandal, Hollywood, and more. This memoir navigates these necessary and often revealing topics through fourteen chapters, each a distinct moment where Rivas explores his Brownness and how to own it. Brown Enough opens with a moment that forever changed Christopher Rivas's life, the night Ta-Nehisi Coates shared, in an intimate gathering in downtown L.A., the Brown man's role in the race conversation. ‘All I hear is black and white. As a Brown man, a Latin man, where does that leave me?’ Coates took a short breath and responded, ‘Not in it.’ Like a reprimanded child, Rivas took his seat and remained silent for much of the event. But the effects didn't end there. This conversation pushed Rivas to contemplate and rethink how whiteness and Blackness had impacted his sense of self and worth. ‘Why is Brown not in it?’ became the unspoken question for the rest of his life, and a thread moving through this collection. Eventually, in every conversation, during every date, at every job, Rivas began to ask, ‘What are the consequences of not being in the conversation?’ ‘What does it take to be in it?’ Brown Enough is the quest to find an answer.

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IF THERE ARE ANY HEAVENS: A MEMOIR BY NICHOLAS MONTEMARANO

On January 6, 2021, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in America, while the U.S. Capitol is under attack, Nicholas Montemarano drives six hundred miles to see his mother, who is hospitalized with COVID pneumonia and in a critical state. For ten days he lives in a hotel minutes from the hospital, alternating between hope and helplessness. This is the story of those ten days. It is the story of the pandemic told through the intimate prism of one family’s loss. Written with visceral urgency in the earliest days of grief, If There Are Any Heavens resists categorization: it is a memoir, a poem, a mournful but loving song. Its form asks readers to slow down and breathe between each broken line. At other moments, a chorus of voices–anti-maskers, COVID-deniers, and doctors–causes the reader to become breathless. It is an almost real-time account of the anxiety, uncertainty, and sorrow brought on by this pandemic. It is also, finally, a devastating homage to a family’s love in a time of great loss. Now, and many years from now, when people want to understand the personal cost of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will turn to this intimate and spare elegy from a son to his mother. THEY CALLED ME A LIONESS: A PALESTINIAN GIRL’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM BY AHED TAMIMI AND DENA TAKRURI

A Palestinian activist jailed at sixteen after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers illuminates the daily struggles of life under occupation in this moving, deeply personal memoir. ‘What would you do if you grew up seeing your home repeatedly raided? Your parents arrested? Your mother shot? Your uncle killed? Try, for just a moment, to imagine 25

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that this was your life. How would you want the world to react?’ Ahed Tamimi is a world-renowned Palestinian activist, born and raised in the small West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, which became a center of the resistance to Israeli occupation when an illegal, Jewish-only settlement blocked off its community spring. Tamimi came of age participating in nonviolent demonstrations against this action and the occupation at large. Her global renown reached an apex in December 2017, when, at sixteen years old, she was filmed slapping an Israeli soldier who refused to leave her front yard. The video went viral, and Tamimi was arrested. But this is not just a story of activism or imprisonment. It is the human-scale story of an occupation that has riveted the world and shaped global politics, from a girl who grew up in the middle of it. Tamimi’s father was born in 1967, the year that Israel began its occupation of the West Bank, and he grew up immersed in the resistance movement. One of Tamimi’s earliest memories is visiting him in prison, poking her toddler fingers through the fence to touch his hand. She herself would spend her seventeenth birthday behind bars. Living through this greatest test and heightened attacks on her village, Tamimi felt her resolve only deepen, in tension with her attempts to live the normal life of a daughter, sibling, friend, and student. An essential addition to an important conversation, They Called Me a Lioness shows us what is at stake in this struggle and offers a fresh vision for resistance. With their unflinching, riveting storytelling, Ahed Tamimi and Dena Takruri shine a light on the humanity not just in occupied Palestine, but also in the unsung lives of people struggling for freedom around the world. LIFE’S WORK: A MEMOIR BY DAVID MILCH

The creator of Deadwood and NYPD Blue reflects on his tumultuous life, driven by a nearly insatiable creative energy and a matching penchant for self-destruction. Life’s Work is a profound memoir from a brilliant mind taking stock as Alzheimer’s loosens his hold on his own past. ‘I’m on a boat sailing to some island where I don’t know anybody. A boat someone is operating and we aren’t in touch.’ So begins David Milch’s urgent accounting of his increasingly strange present and often painful past. From 26

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the start, Milch’s life seems destined to echo that of his father, a successful if drug-addicted surgeon. Almost every achievement is accompanied by an act of self-immolation, but the deepest sadness also contains moments of grace. Betting on racehorses and stealing booze at eight years old, mentored by Robert Penn Warren and excoriated by Richard Yates at twenty-one, Milch never did anything by half. He got into Yale Law School only to be expelled for shooting out streetlights with a shotgun. He paused his studies at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop to manufacture acid in Cuernavaca. He created and wrote some of the most lauded television series of all time, made a family, and pursued sobriety, then lost his fortune betting horses just as his father had taught him. Like Milch’s best screenwriting, Life’s Work explores how chance encounters, self-deception, and luck shape the people we become, and wrestles with what it means to have felt and caused pain, even and especially with those we love, and how you keep living. It is both a master class on Milch’s unique creative process, and a distinctive, revelatory memoir from one of the great American writers, in what may be his final dispatch to us all. A VISIBLE MAN: A MEMOIR BY EDWARD ENNINFUL

From one of our culture's most important change-makers, a memoir of breaking barriers. When Edward Enninful became the first Black editor-inchief of British Vogue, few in the world of fashion wanted to confront how it failed to represent the world we live in. But Edward, a champion of inclusion throughout his life, rapidly changed that. Now, whether it’s putting first responders, octogenarians or civil rights activists on the cover of Vogue, or championing designers and photographers of colour, Edward Enninful has cemented his status as one of the industry’s most important change-makers. A Visible Man traces an astonishing journey into one of the world’s most exclusive 27

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industries. Edward candidly shares how as a Black, gay, working-class refugee, he found in fashion not only a home, but the freedom to share with people the world as he saw it. Written with style, grace, and heart, A Visible Man shines a spotlight on the career of one of the greatest creative minds of our times. It is the story of a visionary who changed not only an industry, but how we understand beauty. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY: A MEMOIR BY QIAN JULIE WANG

In Chinese, the word for America, Mei Guo, translates directly to ‘beautiful country.’ Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. In China, Qian’s parents were professors; in America, her family is ‘illegal’ and it will require all the determination and small joys they can muster to survive. In Chinatown, Qian’s parents labor in sweatshops. Instead of laughing at her jokes, they fight constantly, taking out the stress of their new life on one another. Shunned by her classmates and teachers for her limited English, Qian takes refuge in the library and masters the language through books, coming to think of The Berenstain Bears as her first American friends. And where there is delight to be found, Qian relishes it: her first bite of gloriously greasy pizza, weekly ‘shopping days,’ when Qian finds small treasures in the trash lining Brooklyn’s streets, and a magical Christmas visit to Rockefeller Center—confirmation that the New York City she saw in movies does exist after all. But then Qian’s headstrong Ma Ma collapses, revealing an illness that she has kept secret for months for fear of the cost and scrutiny of a doctor’s visit. As Ba Ba retreats further inward, Qian has little to hold onto beyond his constant refrain: Whatever happens, say that you were born here, that you’ve always lived here. Inhabiting her childhood perspective with exquisite lyric clarity and unforgettable charm and strength, Qian Julie Wang has penned an essential American story about a family fracturing under the weight of invisibility, and a girl coming of age in the shadows, who never stops seeking the light.

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UNCULTURED: A MEMOIR BY DANIELLA MESTYANEK YOUNG

Behind the tall, foreboding gates of a commune in Brazil, Daniella Mestyanek Young was raised in the religious cult The Children of God, also known as The Family, as the daughter of high-ranking members. Her great-grandmother donated land for one of The Family’s first communes in Texas. Her mother, at thirteen, was forced to marry the leader and served as his secretary for many years. Beholden to The Family’s strict rules, Daniella suffers physical, emotional, and sexual abuse–masked as godly discipline and divine love–and is forbidden from getting a traditional education. At fifteen years old, fed up with The Family and determined to build a better and freer life for herself, Daniella escapes to Texas. There, she bravely enrolls herself in high school and excels, later graduating as valedictorian of her college class, then electing to join the military to begin a career as an intelligence officer, where she believes she will finally belong. But she soon learns that her new world–surrounded by men on the sands of Afghanistan–looks remarkably similar to the one she desperately tried to leave behind. Told in a beautiful, propulsive voice and with clear-eyed honesty, Uncultured explores the dangers unleashed when harmful group mentality goes unrecognized, and is emblematic of the many ways women have to contort themselves to survive. WALKING GENTRY HOME: A MEMOIR OF MY FOREMOTHERS IN VERSE BY ALORA YOUNG

An extraordinary young poet traces the lives of her foremothers in West Tennessee, from those enslaved centuries ago to her grandmother, her mother, and finally herself, in this stunning debut celebrating Black girlhood and womanhood throughout American history. Walking Gentry Home tells the story of Alora Young’s ancestors, from the unnamed women forgotten by the 29

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historical record but brought to life through Young’s imagination; to Amy, the first of Young’s foremothers to arrive in Tennessee, buried in an unmarked grave, unlike the white man who enslaved her and fathered her child; through Young’s great-grandmother Gentry, unhappily married at fourteen; to her own mother, the teenage beauty queen rejected by her white neighbors; down to Young in the present day as she leaves childhood behind and becomes a young woman. The lives of these girls and women come together to form a unique American epic in verse, one that speaks of generational curses, coming of age, homes and small towns, fleeting loves and lasting consequences, and the brutal and ever-present legacy of slavery in our nation’s psyche. Each poem is a story in verse, and together they form a heart-wrenching and inspiring family saga of girls and women connected through blood and history. Informed by archival research, the last will and testament of an enslaver, formal interviews, family lore, and even a DNA test, Walking Gentry Home gives voice to those too often muted in America: Black girls and women. THIS STORY WILL CHANGE: AFTER THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER BY ELIZABETH CRANE

Rachel Cusk meets Nora Ephron in this intimate and evolving portrait about the end of a marriage and how life can fall apart and be rebuilt in wonderful and surprising ways. One minute Elizabeth Crane and her husband of fifteen years are fixing up their old house in Upstate New York, finally setting down roots after stints in Chicago, Texas, and Brooklyn, when his unexpected admission—I’m not happy—changes everything. Suddenly she finds herself separated and in couples’ therapy, living in an apartment in the city with an old friend and his kid. It’s understood that the apartment and bonus family are temporary, but the situation brings unexpected comfort and much-needed healing for wounds even older than her marriage. Crafting the story as the very events chronicled are unfolding, Crane writes from a place 30

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of guarded possibility, capturing through vignettes and collected moments a semblance of the real-time practice of healing. At turns funny and dark, with moments of poignancy, This Story Will Change is an unexpected and moving portrait of a woman in transformation, a chronicle of how even the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are bound to change. A PLACE CALLED HOME: A MEMOIR BY DAVID AMBROZ

There are millions of homeless children in America today and, in A Place Called Home, award-winning child welfare advocate David Ambroz writes about growing up homeless in New York for eleven years and his subsequent years in foster care, offering a window into what so many kids living in poverty experience every day. When David and his siblings should be in elementary school, they are instead walking the streets seeking shelter while their mother is battling mental illness. They rest in train stations, 24-hour diners, anywhere that’s warm and dry; they bathe in public restrooms and steal food to quell their hunger. When David is placed in foster care, at first it feels like salvation but soon proves to be just as unsafe. He’s moved from home to home and, in all but one placement, he’s abused. His burgeoning homosexuality makes him an easy target for other’s cruelty. David finds hope and opportunities in libraries, schools, and the occasional kind-hearted adult; he harnesses an inner grit to escape the all-too-familiar outcome for a kid like him. Through hard work and unwavering resolve, he is able to get a scholarship to Vassar College, his first significant step out of poverty. He later graduates from UCLA Law with a vision of using his degree to change the laws that affect children in poverty. Told with lyricism and sparkling with warmth, A Place Called Home depicts childhood poverty and homelessness as it is experienced by so many young people who have been systematically overlooked and unprotected. It’s at once a gripping personal account of deprivation—how one boy survived it, and ultimately thrived—and a resounding call for readers to move from empathy to action.  31

The early works of

Sheryll O’Brien Loose Threads

These are the stories that came first, SOB stories that sat in a basement for years. See how this wild Sheryll O’Brien ride began. Completed in collaboration with Nancy Pendleton..

The Gutter – available now!

The homicide detectives of the Boston PD work tirelessly to protect the citizens of their city from dangerous killers.

The Caller

C omin g S oon ! www.pullingthreadsnovella.com

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Hell has never looked so frightening.

Find the award-winning Gehenna series and more from Kaylin McFarren at Amazon.com!

www.kaylinmcfarren.com 33

First two books now available

GEHENNA SERIES The Underworld Comes To Life In This Supernatural Adventure Series A community of demons in the Underworld and Middle Earth co-exist in the spirit realm and are controlled by the rulers of Hell - Lucifer and Lucinda. Most demons cannot cross between the human and demon world, and most are unaware of the existence of the human world at all. However, the halfhuman half-demon offspring of demons and humans known as Cambions heavily populate Middle Earth and attempt to duplicate the human experience, while mediating between transcendent realms in their attempt to maintain the balance of power between Heaven and Hell.

www.kaylinmcfarren.com

AM BO

K S TAG

S TA

@parysinthepages TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU.

@parysinthepages: My name is Parys. I’m 30 years old. When I don’t have my face buried in a book I will be playing with my boxer, Teddy.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BOOKSTAGRAM ACCOUNT AND HOW IT GOT STARTED.

BOOKSTAGRAM Each issue we feature a new bookstagrammer highlighting some of their amazing work.

NAME: PARYS FAVORITE CHARACTER:

BREXLEY KOVACS FROM THE SAVAGE LANDS SERIES, BECAUSE WHO DOESN’T LOVE A STRONG FEMALE LEAD THAT DEPENDS ON NO ONE. FAVORITE GENRE:

FANTASY ROMANCE 36

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@parysinthepages: I am someone who rediscovered their love for reading when lockdown hit. I never had the guts to start a bookstagram at that time, I just admired all the beautiful images. That was until January this year, when I finally decided that I should start believing in myself more. Now, I enjoy taking my photographs and talking about all things bookish with amazing people! WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE INDIE/SMALL PRESS AUTHOR AND WHY?

@parysinthepages: H D Carlton, C N Crawford, Stacey Marie Brown - there are too many to choose from! WHAT ARE SOME TITLES OR AUTHORS YOU ARE EXCITED TO READ IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS?

@parysinthepages: What Hunts in The Shadows, Daughter of Darkness, Kingdom of The Feared, and The Twisted series.

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E N TER YO U R B O O K ! SHELF UNBOUND

BEST

INDIE BOOK

COMPETITION Shelf Media hosts the annual Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition for best selfpublished or independently published book, receiving entries from May 1 to October 1 each year. In addition to prizes, the winner, finalists, and more than 100 notable books from the competition are featured in the December/January issue of Shelf Unbound.

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Call For Entries. Shelf Unbound book review magazine announces the Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best SelfPublished Book. Any self-published book in any genre is eligible for entry. Entry fee is $100 per book. The winning entry will be selected by the editors of Shelf Unbound magazine. To submit an entry, Apply Online. All entries received (and entry fee paid) will be considered. THE TOP FIVE BOOKS, as determined by the editors of Shelf Media Group, will receive editorial coverage in the December / January issue of Shelf Unbound. The author of the book named as the Best Self-Published book will receive editorial coverage as well as a year’s worth of fullpage ads in the magazine.

Deadline for entry is October 31, 2022.

Taking

the war to

Hitler Riding the icy, moonlit sky— They took the war to Hitler. Their chances of survival were less than fifty percent. Their average age was 21. This is the story of just one bomber pilot, his crew, and the woman he loved. It is intended as a tribute to them all.

Moral Fibre: A Bomber Pilot’s Story By Helena P. Schrader

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EXCERPTS

SHELF UNBOUND’S RECOMMENDED READING Take a bite from your next favorite book.

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The Poet's House. BY JEAN THOMPSON

Algonquin | July 2022

It was three days before I went to Viridian’s house. Maybe she’d only invited me out of politeness, and I didn’t want to presume that she, or anybody else, actually wanted to see me. I took my gardening tools, since those might be called for as an alibi. There was a smell of smoke in the air from a grass fire in the far northeast corner of Sonoma, and a hazy look to the sky. Fire season had started early. It made everybody nervous; we’d all lived through big fires by now. It was only two years ago that the Tubbs fire had burned 5 percent of the houses in Santa Rosa, way too close to home. Driving to Fairfax through the back roads, past fields of blond grass, it was easy to imagine a high wind snaking through the valleys, driving lines of fire before it. Which is why I was alarmed to reach Viridian’s courtyard— the gate stood open—and find that a big portable firepit had been set up there, an oversized bowl on legs. It stood waist high, and a fire of wood logs, the kind sold in bundles at the grocery, was burning and snapping, unattended, it seemed. I parked and looked around for the mesh dome that fit on top and put it in place so that at least embers wouldn’t fly up onto the roof or overhanging 42

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trees. I still didn’t see anyone. It was probably five different kinds of illegal to leave something burning like this. I rang the front doorbell. Oscar answered. He sighed. “You. What did I do this time?” “You left your fire unattended and you could burn up the whole county.” “What, you’re the fire patrol now? I’m going to barbecue some oysters. It’s not a crime.” His hair was slicked back, still wet, and he smelled faintly of shower products. He wore jeans and an orange shirt that glowed like a bad sunburn. He was one of those men of whom it was said, He’s not afraid of color. “Where’s Viridian?” “Making the salad dressing. You’re early.” He was already walking away, into the house. Early for what? I followed him, trying to get my bearings. Here was the living room, and a room beyond that which I hadn’t seen—an office, I guessed, with a trestle desk and files—and a wide space like a gallery, and beyond that, the kitchen, where

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something involving a lot of garlic was cooking. Viridian stood at the one clear space of countertop, whisking something in a bowl. If she was surprised or dismayed to see me, it didn’t show in her face. “Carla! How nice that you’re here. Do you eat mushrooms? I can’t decide if I should put any in the salad.” All around her, different cooking projects were underway: a large pot of red sauce on the stove, loaves of bread on a cutting board, a pasta machine disgorging wide noodles, an open cannister of flour sifting over everything. Heaps of vegetables: tomatoes,

summer squash, eggplant, peppers, onions. A bowl of cut-up peaches, cheese and cheese grater, the sink full of greens, a tub of butter, jars of this and that, honey, olives, pickles. The kitchen, which was not large, looked like one of those puzzles where you’re supposed to find hidden objects. Viridian looked completely serene and untroubled by any of the kitchen wreckage. Tonight she wore her hair pulled up on the top of her head, in stripes of gray and silver, and a white apron over a floating light blue dress or caftan. I wanted clothes like hers.

“No mushrooms,” Oscar said. “I need them for the ratatouille.” “No mushrooms,” Viridian agreed. “Just plain greens with vinaigrette.” “Bacon,” Oscar suggested, but she shook her head. “Vegetarians,” he said to me. “So rigid.” “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to barge in and interrupt you.” “You’re not interrupting anything, you’re paying a visit. Now that you’re here, you should stay for dinner. Shouldn’t she, Oscar? We certainly have enough food.”

ABOUT THE BOOK Carla is stuck. In her twenties and working for a landscaper, she’s been told she’s on the wrong path by everyone—from her mom, who wants her to work at the hospital, to her boyfriend, who is dropping not-so-subtle hints that she should be doing something that matters. hen she is hired for a job at the home of Viridian, a lauded T and lovely aging poet who introduces Carla to an eccentric circle of writers. At first she is perplexed by their predilection for reciting lines in conversation, the stories of their many liaisons, their endless wine-soaked nights. Soon, though, she becomes enamored with this entire world: with Viridian, whose reputation has been defined by her infamous affair with a male poet, Mathias; with Viridian’s circle; and especially with the power of words, the “ache and hunger that can both be awakened and soothed by a poem,” a hunger that Carla feels sharply.

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If I Were the Ocean, I'd Carry You Home. BY PETE HSU

Red Hen Press

From “MAIN & MAINE” They know of each other in the coincidental kind of way. She is the cousin of his cousin’s boyfriend. Also, they have almost the same last name. His is Chiang. Hers is Chang. All this makes it sound like they are related, but they aren’t. When they first meet in real life, he sees her in the kitchen at a party. She’s drinking a soda out of the can. She’s got something baking in the oven, like a dessert. She takes it out. It’s graham crackers and some kind of yellow sauce. It looks terrible, but she looks great, pretty like in her pictures, but pale and also shorter. Less Korean, if that makes sense, less assertive, less sociable. He guesses those kinds of things show differently in pictures. But she moves like she’s floating in water, out of time with the music, but in time with the deep, the invisible, like she’s one with God or the ocean. These

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| October 2022

are the kinds of things he might say to describe someone he wants to sleep with. He does want to sleep with her. He also thinks he could be in love with her, but she isn’t available and neither is he. So, he keeps his distance. He hides out in the kitchen. He drinks several beers. He keeps count in his head. Seven. That’s too many. He’s drunk, maybe. He’s a quiet drunk. He is also a quiet sober person. She keeps coming to talk to him as if they’re flirting. He doesn’t think she is good at flirting. He is not good at flirting. He doesn’t know for sure that they’re flirting, but she touches his arm when she talks to him. This is maybe the fourth time she’s touched his arm like this. She says, “I don’t know why I keep touching your arm.” He pays close attention to her exact words: “I don’t know why I keep touching

your arm.” He tries to interpret this. He wants it to tell him that she wants to sleep with him. He also wants it to tell him how to talk to her. He wants to say things to her. He can feel his heart in his throat. Then the moment passes. Her boyfriend comes and joins their conversation. Her boyfriend’s name is Walt Gourley. Walt is a tall, muscular Scots-Irish guy with Pokémon tattoos up and down his left arm. He likes Walt. He’s a fan of Pokémon. And also, Walt talks a lot, which means he doesn’t have to talk as much.

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Walt says, “Who’s this?” He wonders why Walt doesn’t recognize him. They go to the same school. They’re almost the same major. His is Literature. Walt’s is Creative Writing. She says, “This is James Chiang’s cousin.” He puts his hand out to Walt. He’s about to introduce himself when Walt slaps his hand away and gives him a hug, “Hey, no way, Jimmy Chiang’s cousin? I fucking love Jimmy.” Walt holds him for a long time. It’s a full contact hug, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, penis to penis. He arches his back to keep their penises from touching. It doesn’t help. Walt is very strong. He gives in. He

relaxes. He hugs Walt back. It feels really great. He is about to lay his head on Walt’s shoulder when Walt lets go, keeping one arm around his neck, Walt grabs her with the other arm so it’s a Walt sandwich, him to the left and her to the right. He wonders if something sexual could happen with the three of them. It’s not exactly what he wants, but he wouldn’t say no either. Then his girlfriend calls from across the room. He sees her calling. She’s hard to miss. She is tall and has bright blonde hair. It’s amazing, and it’s her real hair. Walt says, “That your girl?” He nods. “Maggie.” He waits for Walt to say something approving. Walt doesn’t say anything

approving. Maggie motions for him to come over. Walt holds tight and then motions for Maggie to come to them. Maggie tilts her head to the side and frowns. He says, “I better go.” Walt grabs the back of his neck and shakes him gently, and says, “Alright, Jimmy’s cousin. Take it easy then.” He looks past Walt and says, “See you later, Hanna.” It’s loud. He doesn’t know if Hanna hears him. He turns and starts to walk to Maggie. As he gets turned around, he feels a slap on his ass. He turns back. It’s Walt. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Full of warmth, terror, and underhanded humor, If I Were the Ocean, I'd Carry You Home, Pete Hsu's debut story collection, captures the essence of surviving in a life set adrift. Children and young people navigate a world where the presence of violence and death rear themselves in everyday places: Vegas casinos, birthday parties, church services, and sunny days at the beach. Each story is a meditation on living in a world not made for us--the pervasive fear, the adaptations, the unexpected longings. A gripping and energetic debut, Hsu's writing beats with the naked rhythms of an unsettled human heart. 45

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Hog Wild. BY JONATHAN WOODS

Self Published | August 2022

BANG! The gunfire seemed to come from behind the bunkhouse where a tinroofed shed building resided, its open bays filled with a miscellany of obsolete equipment rusting into oblivion, a hay bailer, a flatbed wagon, a battered and boxy pickup from yesteryear (tireless and raised up on wood blocks) and more. Deciding the shooter was not aiming in Ray’s direction, curiosity got the better of him. With a groan of pain, he eased to his feet and headed outside. Rounding the bunkhouse, Ray came upon an exceptional booty shunted into weathered Wranglers, its curves a geometer’s daydream. Traveling upward, his eyes took in additional details: black (pushup style) bra beneath white blouse, emu-ish (in length but sans feathers) neck, well remembered (how could he forget) platinum-blond tresses

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shimmering like corn silk in the sunlight. Oh, shit. It was the freakydeaky daughter of the Cross clan. And this time she was armed with a serious weapon—a 9mm Taurus semi-auto. She clearly had a thing for guns. But maybe she hadn’t noticed his arrival. Was there still time (a split second or two) in which to slip away into the shadows of the afternoon? Even as his nose detected a whiff of perfume layering over the pungent tang of nitroglycerin from the discharged weapon, Loretta turned and cast him a toothy smile that, based on past experience, could have been viewed as a psycho version of the Cheshire Cat. Damn. She’d caught him. “How’s it going?” asked Ray. The more he studied the woman, the more he

wondered whether her bank of sparkling choppers were meant as an ordinary friendly greeting? Or were they exhibit one in evidence of her deranged persona waiting in the wings to emerge at dusk like a bat from under a bridge? A glittering white enamel cover-up. Her two center upper incisors were prominent and rabbity, a detail he’d missed on their previous encounter. A momentary urge to offer her a carrot passed through Ray’s mind, then dove headfirst down whatever wormhole captured and defanged such

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oddball thoughts. And what was that tiny fuzzy thing sitting on Loretta’s shoulder? An hallucination? A conversation starter? A devil’s familiar? No, it was a goddamn mini monkey showcasing a mini satanic smirk. Ray eased into a mental shrug of surrender. Whatever floats your boat, darlin’. “You’re the feral hog hunter?” said Loretta. The question mark in her voice suggested she was meeting him for the first time. Not true. Her eyes, hidden behind posh-looking sunglasses, told him less than diddly-squat. “I guess you could say that. Though I think I’m being typecast. Sure enough the hogs left alive out there have already nailed up a wanted poster with my likeness on it. But you can just call me Ray,

ma’am. Ordinary, everyday Ray Puzo at your service.” “Well, you surely do look like a killer,” she said. “Of hogs, I mean.” Ray let that one go by. The seconds ticked past, she deciding he was rather good looking, in a swarthy foreigner, odd-duck sort of way, he concluding that, kooky or not, she was a damn fine specimen of womankind, pretty face, exceptional boobs and all, if maybe a tad heavyhanded in the stomach, hip and thigh departments. “What happened to you?” she asked “You mean the eye? Ran into a doorknob trying to peek through the keyhole into the next room where your foreman Lamont was engaged in fornication with one of the

domestic help.” A hoot of wild laughter burst from her mouth. Her body shook. Her head jerked backward nearly losing the cowgirl hat to the dirt. He remembered that laugh from their first meeting—a little unsettling now. “Somehow I just can’t picture Lamont in that situation,” she said and laughed again. Ray shrugged. It wasn’t that funny. She cocked her hip. “I heard you went into town and got the shit kicked out of you.” “You win some, you lose some,” said Ray. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ray Puzo, ex-Special Forces sniper, is hired to rid the vast Cross Bar cattle ranch in South Texas of its feral hog problem. Due to radiation and other pollution the hogs have become super-brainy. Faced with extinction, the hogs organize and fight back. Humans and hogs face off in an epic battle between good and evil—but who is good and who is evil is an open question. Part pulp noir. Part dystopian Gothic western. Part satiric magic realism antiwar sex farce, Hog Wild is the illegitimate offspring of a ménage à trois between and among Orwell’s Animal Farm, George Miller’s The Road Warrior and Verna Bloom of Animal House and High Plains Drifter fame.

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Benefit.

BY SIOBHAN PHILLIPS Bellevue Literary Press | April 2022

I hadn’t talked to Heather since 2007. Before that we were friends. Were we friends now? If we were friends I’d have to tell her everything that had happened in the last three years, the last three weeks. I wanted to skip that part. The part where she tried to help. Also I wanted her help. Our friendship always needed explanation. We were Weatherfield fellows together, at Oxford together, so naturally we became friends. But while we were at Oxford our friendship was strange because Heather is beautiful and I am not. And after that our friendship was strange also because Heather has money and I do not. I think these are the simplest explanations. They sound bad or wrong only because people avoid discussing directly things like beauty and money. What I look like. My hair frizzes. My head is too big, 48

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even for my body, which is also too big. My fingers are knobby and my nails look ragged no matter how clean. Heather is tall and slim with very dark hair and big eyes and fingers that taper to pale pink almond shapes. I knew that Heather and I were friends because she told me. I would not have known otherwise. Claiming friendship seemed presumptuous. Facebook changed this, of course. Heather and I met before Facebook. Now you have friends in your queue like you have dollars in your bank account. All those little pictures of people. I don’t really check Facebook. I do check my bank account. Often. More since I lost my job. Heather has so much of a job that she has extra jobs. She is on boards. She volunteers. She does things pro bono.

People avoid discussing directly things like beauty and money because they are impossible. They are not real. Also ruthlessly real. They are illusion, also inarguable. I wrote back to Heather that it was very good to hear from her and that yes, I was interested in work. Pro bono, for good, not for money. She wrote with details. She was now on the board of the Weatherfield Foundation and helping with the centennial gala

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this December. She hoped I had already heard of the centennial gala. She hoped I was even planning to attend. The foundation wanted to produce a commemorative essay to distribute at the event, explaining the history of Ennis Weatherfield. Could I write this? It would entail some research. Unfortunately, the deadline is fast approaching. She apologized for the time line. She hoped I would say yes. From the research. Foundation in the sense of charitable organization is a relatively recent usage. It dates only from the turn of the twentieth century. The Weatherfield Foundation is an early example. The first few decades of the twentieth century were a good time for foundations. In the first

few decades of the twentieth century, a small number of people gave away a large amount of money. The Weatherfield Foundation was prepared to pay a fair or even generous rate for this work, Heather said. Given the time line. Heather told me we were friends when she did not invite me to her wedding. This was in 2002. I am so sorry, she wrote. The guest list is not entirely under my control. I hope this will not affect our friendship. Oh, I thought. Friendship. To be clearer, in the first few decades of the twentieth century, a small number of people gave away a large amount of money because in the last few decades of

the nineteenth century, a small number of people made an even larger amount of money. The lack of a wedding invitation was not a problem, I wrote to Heather in 2002. I told her that she had saved me from buying a new dress. You know how much I love shopping for clothes, I wrote. Or rather, not shopping. Heather wrote back, I am glad to have helped. But I hope you will buy yourself a new dress anyway. This was our pattern as friends. I was to say something ironic. Heather was to say something kind. Something that confirmed her kindness. Also indirectly her beauty. 

ABOUT THE BOOK Laura, a student from a modest background, escapes her small town to join the ranks of the academic elite on a Weatherfield fellowship to study at Oxford University. She enthusiastically throws herself into her coursework, yet she is never able to escape a feeling of unease and dislocation among her fellow chosen “students of promise and ambition.” Years later, back in the United States with a PhD and dissertation on Henry James, she loses her job as an adjunct professor and reconnects with the Weatherfield Foundation. Commissioned to write a history for its centennial, she becomes obsessed by the Gilded Age origins of the Weatherfield fortune, rooted in the exploitation and misery of sugar production. As she is lured back into abandoned friendships within the glimmering group, she discovers hidden aspects of herself and others that point the way to a terrifying freedom.

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You, Me, and the Goldfish. BY M T STRAKER

Independent Published | September 2017

Alexia Colin is a teenager whose mother struggles with mental health problems. Alexia’s father left when she was five years old. Alexia strives to support and care for her mother and attend college. Jessica Colin is a nurse who was attacked at work, resulting in her clinical depression. Alexia’s mother continues to experience hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. Jessica believes that she has seen dinosaurs and a dead aunt in her room; she won’t open the curtains and refuses to eat. Jessica makes an effort to dress and leave her bedroom on a Sunday when Samantha, a family friend visits. Samantha notices that her friend has basically turned into a skeleton, sinking deep into depression. She suggests that Jessica make 50

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an appointment with her doctor and offers to go with her, which Jessica agrees to. Samantha had a niece called Mia, and she and Alexia had been best friends since age five. Mia was now seventeen, attractive enough to be an object of desire in boys’ eyes. She was good at sports and listening; she was Alexia’s biggest supporter in a long battle with her mum’s depression. On seeing the doctor, she is prescribed medication and encouraged to attend Group Therapy. Alexia is concerned that her mother won’t attend the Group Therapy. To make sure that she does, Alexia strikes a deal with her mother that she will go with her. Her mother isn’t happy about this, but aware that Alexia wants her to get well she agrees. The Group Therapy takes place in the back room of

a hospital building in the North East. The therapist, Christine, manages her bipolar disorder with medication, is addicted to baking cupcakes and loves cats. While attending Group Therapy, Jessica meets Sophia, a woman whose granddaughter has been murdered, but her killer hasn’t been found. Sophia and Jessica become friends, motivating, and supporting each other. Five weeks later, on a Friday, Jessica makes the acquaintance of a new member called

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Todd Walker, who takes an interest in Jessica, constantly looking at her. Alexia isn’t pleased that Todd keeps looking at her mother, but then she notices that her mother is also fascinated with Todd, staring at him. However, before Alexia has a chance to warn him off, the Group is distracted by a ghost at the back of the room, whom Sophia believes is the vision of her granddaughter. On the day of seeing the ghost, Alexia mentions to the Group that she has never tasted olives on pizza. Sophia invites Jessica and Alexia to a pizza restaurant, where Alexia meets and falls for Sophia’s handsome grandson Justin, who is

highly talented at designing computer games. Since her mother’s depression, Alexia has found comfort in a book she discovered on a website, Seeking Angels. Alexia has never had time for nights out with friends or had a boyfriend; her time has been divided between college and ensuring her mother takes her medication to prevent relapses. However, just when Jessica is getting back on her feet, and Alexia planning her own future, her dad returns, wounded and vulnerable, two weeks before Alexia’s eighteenth birthday. Her mother finds it difficult to turf him out and Alexia is left with unanswered questions.

On meeting Alexia, Justin had encouraged her to talked about her feeling of caring for her mother and the impacts her mother’s mental health had on her education, establishing friendship and relationship. He had his own experiences of anxiety following the death of his sister. Justin, who is now romantically involved with Alexia, offers to take her to the Lake District in search of the elusive author of Seeking Angels, Helena Vanessa Amadeo. 

ABOUT THE BOOK It all begins, strangely enough, in group therapy. Alexia is the sole caregiver and support for her mother, who is undergoing a mental health crisis after suffering a violent attack at her workplace. As the teenager struggles with the responsibilities of her new role in the family, she falls head over heels for Justin, whose grandmother is part of the same therapy class Alexia’s mother attends. Alexia is sure that Justin—tall, handsome, and charismatic—won’t even notice her. To her surprise, he does more than that—he asks her out! Justin is kind, artistic, and thoughtful, but he’s also coping with his own trauma. Justin’s sister was brutally murdered, and the killer is still at large. Alexia tries to find ways to support Justin and his family as they go through the grieving process and move forward with their lives. 51

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Once in a Lifetime. BY SUZANNE MATTABONI

TouchPoint Press | March 2022

AUGUST 1984—King of Prussia Who Can It Be Now? …Whit lets a slo-mo smile crawl across his lips, while his fingers climb and drop against the neck of his guitar. I scrape a pencil against my sketchpad. He turns his face with each chord progression. “I can’t capture you if you keep moving,” I say. Whit’s eyebrows arch. “Capture me?” A string vibrates, caught against a fret, crying out a high note under his finger. “Interesting choice of words.” “When did you first start playing?” I ask. His shirtless torso rocks. “My uncle played. We used to visit him when I was maybe ten years old.” The strings squeak as he presses them against diamond-shaped inlays. “I’d sit on his bedroom rug and listen. He was awesome.” Whit’s voice continues as 52

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I focus on the image I’m drawing, as if the sketch is talking to me. “When I was thirteen, he gave me a beat-up six-string and taught me some basics,” he says. I smudge graphite with my fingertip. “Did it take long to learn?” “Nah.” He watches his own hand change position. “I ran with it.” The tune transitions to a more modern piece, full of lilting sharp notes. He taps the body of the guitar, adding his own percussion. Filaments deep inside my body vibrate to the rhythm. The gray tones of my sketch pale compared to the depth of his eyes. I can’t do them justice. I’d need to use a far more dimensional medium. Jewels. The stratosphere. Kryptonite. I let my pencil stop. “What song is that?” He smiles like he’s keeping a secret. “I’m just making shit up for you, now.”

He plucks a couple of gorgeous notes, and that stare of his locks down on me. Pieces of his spiky hair skip past his irises. Blood rushes in my ears. I’m a needle stuck in a scratch in a record, hitching in place. “How do you do that?” I finally sputter. “Do what?” The taut strings shudder under his fingertips. “Look at me and make time fucking stop.” The guitar music cuts out and he reaches an arm to me. Deep and slow as the chords of a deathly-sick Cure song, he breathes,

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“Come here.” My pencil and pad drop. Strings squeal as I pull the acoustic out of his hands, his fingers surrendering the fretwork. I balance the guitar in a stand next to the futon and climb into his lap. His hands ring my waist. The guitar and I seem to be interchangeable when it comes to his ability to play both instruments. His eyes fall closed, then open again. “How did you get so good at this?” he whispers. “Instinct.” I toss my head backward, laughing. “I actually haven’t done all that much of this kind of thing.” “Are you sure?” He rifles his hands underneath my balmy tank top. “Okay, I have done a lot of this kind of thing,” I correct myself, “just not with that many people.” Really, just

one person, but he doesn’t need to know that. “Finding the right guy is like finding the right pair of shoes. You don’t need to own a ton of shoes to know a great pair when you see one.” I lace my hands behind his neck. “But once you find them, you want to wear them. All the time.” I arch my back. “Because they make you feel fabulous.” “Are you using me for sex, Jessica?” he asks. “The guys in the band think I’m your summer boy toy.” I stop. “Is that what you think?” My face hovers over his. “You don’t understand,” I go on, letting my hair drape in his face. “With shoes, it’s not so much that you love the walking.” Tendrils of hair stroke the side of his jaw. “It’s that you love the shoes.”

I twist my legs around his waist and squeeze. “Do you get it?” His eyes roll back. “Yes.” He breathes a low moan that I wish I could record and listen to all day. “Then count your blessings,” I whisper. His eyes could steam linen. He pushes my tank top over my head, thick palms drawing lines along my skin, his lips following. I yelp as he flips me on my back. It amazes me how deftly a guy can squirm out of clothing when the moment calls for it. Whit doesn’t even flinch when his guitar slides off its stand and bongs against the yellow floor planks. We defile his furniture.

ABOUT THE BOOK In 1984, punk is rampant. Andy Warhol rules. And 20-year-old art student Jessica is sick of all the excitement going on without her. Hungry for the life she’s convinced is just beyond her fingertips, she sets her sights on an avant-garde study abroad program in London she can’t afford. Meanwhile, hometown boyfriend Drew wants to see other people if he’s not exciting enough to keep her stateside. Jess and her buddies rent a beat-up apartment, trolling new wave clubs and waitressing double shifts in New Hope, PA, a cool and artsy restaurant town on the river, to scrounge-up tuition money. Then Jess meets Whit, a steamy daredevil guitarist who crawls through her window and makes her head spin like a record. The girls deal with cheating waiters, mystics, a military drag queen buddy, a Svengali bouncer, and the specter of AIDs. Before long, Jess has to decide if the men in her life will leave her as damaged as her cracked-glass mosaic art projects—and whether they’ll stand in the way of her dream semester in postpunk London.

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716.

BY S. J. PRATT xx | xxx 2022

“I am standing outside the Tower of Testing as hundreds of young women gather to take the most important test of their lives.” The voice of famous journalist Vicky Vermintrude sounded throughout the PART. “In case you’ve been living under a piece of steel, today is Testing Day. The day thousands of 18-year-old women take the Reasoning, Empathy, Aptitude, and Leadership Test. The test that cannot be studied for, cannot be cheated on, and whose results cannot be wrong. Today, the next generation will discover what they’re made of and what their futures could look like. What’s that? Yes, I can confirm that Lim Olivia has arrived!” Those still inside the PART stuck their sweaty foreheads to the glass like children at the zoo to get a glimpse of the woman stepping out of the 54

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Cavorite4000. “She’s about to do it!” a girl yelled. “Lim Olivia is about to take the REAL Test!” Lim Olivia: Meliora’s darling. She was (according to Lily, Elite magazine, and basically everyone Andy had ever met) the most intelligent, beautiful, popular, daring, brave, dreamy woman in the nation. She was everything the future leader of Meliora should be, and she’d make a fine leader when she took over from her mother one day. Apparently, Olivia had built a laser cutter from scratch, and she once hacked into her mother’s personal library, skimming several restricted novels before being caught. Even Andy had to admit he was impressed. Not impressed enough to warrant the flurry of adoration that began as Olivia walked through the crowd but— hold on, was the conductor getting out of the PART? Andy was already late for

work. What made him very late was when almost everyone in the PART filed onto the street and tried to squeeze their way towards Lim Olivia. Eventually, a group of teens made it to the front of the crowd and squealed when she agreed to a selfie with them. A fully grown man fainted when she signed his copy of Elite magazine. It seemed to take forever for everyone to return. But what made Andy extremely late was the PART conductor’s insistence that everyone should grab some donuts

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to celebrate the special occasion. “What’s another fifteen minutes, after all?” It was hell, that’s what it was. With his fingers crossed that he wouldn’t be fired, Andy trudged across the street to an overwhelmed donut stand. He stood in the sun with a handful of donuts and a refilled coffee, wondering… What if he took the REAL Test? He swallowed, shifted. It was not a question he should ask. But if he were to ask it, very quickly and quietly, could he do it? Would he walk in a boy and come out a man, or would he, as everyone said boys would, crumble under the pressure? What if he wasn’t like other boys? What if he could score well enough to get into university? He’d sit in those elegant engineering lecture

halls and learn about flight mechanics, thermodynamics, and failure analysis. He wouldn’t have to be a waiter anymore. He’d be hired as an engineer to work alongside some of the greatest minds to— “Can you pull your socks up, please?” A tall woman in a neglected dress stared at his legs, her lips forming a thin line of disapproval. “I’m sorry?” “You should be,” the woman replied, shaking her head as if his audacity was unbelievable. “You wouldn’t want your legs to distract the ladies, would you? And you should smile, you’d almost look handsome if you smiled.” Andy clenched his jaw. He should remain calm, agree with her, do as he was told.

He should be mindful of how he would come across when he replied; he didn’t want to seem aggressive or argumentative. But something about the situation grated him. This woman, who didn’t know him or introduce herself, proudly displaying her own bare legs, was telling him what to do with his body. “I doubt my legs have ever distracted anyone, especially given Lim Olivia has done such a thorough job of that already. Besides, if legs are so distracting, why do businesses insist on waiter uniforms with shorts?” Andy asked.

ABOUT THE BOOK Olivia is destined to be the future leader of Meliora. She’s smart, rich, and innovative, and she has a pink Identifeye light. Andy is destined to be a waiter and househusband. His blue Identifeye light prevents him from pursuing his dream of becoming an engineer. After all, who ever heard of a male engineer? But when Andy’s life becomes entangled with Olivia’s and he gets the chance to prove himself on the female stage, everything starts to change. In a futuristic society where men are second-class citizens and only binary gender norms are acceptable, Andy and Olivia must confront their own beliefs and decide what kind of world they want to live in. Will they do what is expected or what is right? And will the wrong choice spell disaster? 55

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW: N.E Davenport On Her Debut Novel The Blood Trials . BY WYATT BANDT

N.E. DAVENPORT

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“Davenport debuts with an ambitious epic that blurs genre lines, setting futuristic technology against a historical fantasy backdrop. This invigorating debut marks Davenport as a writer to watch.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Davenport’s ambitious debut is gritty and bloody, and balances emotional arcs with fast action. Fans of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising and Evan Winter’s The Rage of Dragons will find similarities in Ikenna’s journey.” —LIBRARY JOURNAL

SYNOPSIS: THE BLOOD TRIALS

Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior. It’s all about blood. The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen’s deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive. The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered. For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her. Who trained her to keep that a secret. But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order. Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials—a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that—if found out—would subject her to execution…or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather…and then she needs to kill them. Mareen has been at peace for a long time… Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that. Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself—and one’s blood—is more important than anything.

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INTERVIEW... YOU HAVE A PRETTY RICH BACKGROUND! A BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND THEATRE DEGREE, A MASTERS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION, AND NOW YOU’RE A SCIENCE AND ENGLISH TEACHER – AND YOU’RE WRITER ON THE SIDE! WHAT’S IT LIKE WEARING SO MANY HATS?

ND: Honestly, it’s challenging, but also fulfilling! I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to take a hiatus from teaching the last two years and write full-time. However, when I was juggling both it was all about time management for me, carving out the time to write, and then guarding it fiercely. A SIMPLE QUESTION I ALWAYS LIKE TO ASK IS WHEN DID YOU BEGIN WRITING AND WHAT KEPT YOU WITH THE HOBBY?

ND: I’ve been writing seriously near as long as I’ve been alive! I remember as early as four, I’d sit at a table with my grandmother scribbling on paper and tell her a dramatic fantasy story as I scribbled. In childhood, my teen years, and then adulthood writing remained a hobby because it’s just so much fun to 58

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create worlds and characters and plots. At some point, it became a passion and something I can’t ever not do. WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BLOOD TRIALS COME FROM?

ND: The Blood Trials was inspired by a lot of things but primarily Star Wars. I wanted to tell a story that was a space fantasy with sweeping magic, mythology, gods, and technology advancement existing side-by-side while clashing. DID YOU START WITH A GOAL TO TELL A STORY ABOUT A STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST FIGHTING AGAINST THE ODDS, AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, OR DID IT DEVELOP INTO THAT?

ND: I absolutely started with the goal to tell a story about a fierce female warrior fighting against discrimination and her own grief. So much of Ikenna’s story took shape from my real-life experiences as a Black woman in America. ONCE YOU PUT PEN TO PAPER, WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUE PUBLICATION?

ND: The dream I’ve held since a

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teenager of one day walking into a bookstore and seeing a book written by me on the shelves. I also wanted to contribute to the body of science fiction / fantasy literature that features heroes who look like me. WHAT WAS, WELL I SUPPOSE, WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING WITH HARPER VOYAGER?

ND: It’s been really amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better editorial team! THE WORLD IN THE BLOOD TRIALS IS VERY UNIQUE. IT’S FUTURISTIC, HAS SEVERAL CLEAR CULTURES, COOL MONSTERS WITH LORE BEHIND THEIR EXISTENCE SUCH AS THE CAT-LIKE SABINE, MAGIC, AND THAT’S JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS. WHAT INFLUENCES DID YOU DRAW UPON WHILE FLESHING OUT THE WORLD?

ND: I grew up loving stories about magic and mythological gods and heroes. I drew on that love when creating the fantastical elements of The Blood Trials. I’m also super into stories about political clashes, powerful nations clashing, and powerful people vying for more of it. It’s another thing I used when creating the planet of

Iludu. TO ADD TO THAT, WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS ABOUT THE BLOOD TRIALS WORLD?

ND: Wow, I have so many. I definitely love the romance subplot. I don’t read much SFF without one. Another favorite part is literally anything Ikenna gets to use her blood magic. WHEN CAN WE EXPECT BOOK TWO OF THE BLOOD GIFT DUOLOGY? AVOIDING SPOILERS FOR POTENTIAL READERS, IT FEELS LIKE A LOT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN YET FOR THE STORY TO COME TO A CONCLUSION.

ND: Soon! I think that might be all I can say at the moment. Sorry! A lot does need to happen, and it will in book two! FINALLY, I’D LIKE TO LEAVE SPACE FOR YOU TO SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?

ND: Thank you so much for inviting me to speak with you! I am thrilled that you enjoyed The Blood Trials so much, and I hope other readers do too.  59

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

N. E. DAVENPORT Nia "N.E." Davenport is the Science Fiction/ Fantasy author of "The Blood Trials" and a forthcoming sequel. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys vacationing with her family, skiing, and being a huge foodie. She’s an advocate for diverse, reflective perspectives and protagonists in literature. You can find her online at www.nedavenport.com, on Twitter @nia_ davenport, or on Instagram @nia.davenport, where she talks about bingeworthy TV, fun movies, killer books, and a variety of other shenanigans.

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Deadly Setup. BY LYNN SLAUGHTER

WHAT TO READ IN YA FICTION Young adult fiction continues to become one of the most popular genres – mostly for adults. Join us each issue to find your next YA read.

DEADLY SETUP BY LYNN SLAUGHTER

Lynn tells Sam’s story through a first person point of view, at times, I even felt like I was right there either in Sam’s shoes or right next to her seeing what she was doing and hearing her words. Lynn also did a good job conveying Sam’s thoughts and feelings. I almost felt like the story was more real than it is. 63

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RECOMMENDED AS YOU R N EX T

YA R E A D

DEADLY SETUP .

The daughter of a New England heiress, seventeen-year-old Sam has tried hard to fulfill her father's dying wish: "Take care of your mother for me." Not an easy job. When her impulsive, romance-writing mom announces her engagement to a man whose last heiress wife died under suspicious circumstances, Sam tries to dissuade her mother. But her mom is convinced she'll finally have the "Happily Ever After" she writes about. And then Sam's life implodes. Her mom's fiancé turns up dead, and a mountain of circumstantial evidence points to Sam as the killer. On trial for murder, she fights to prove her innocence with the help of her boyfriend's dad, an ex-homicide cop. Just when things are looking especially bleak, Sam uncovers evidence she never expected to find. She faces a tough decision: At what point does the price of loyalty become too high? 64

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W H AT P E O P L E A R E S AY I N G A B O U T G I R L + B OO K

“Best YA Blogs And Book Reviewers” - URBAN EPICS, BLOGGER AWARDS

“Top 100 Book Review Blogs For Book Readers and Authors” - FEEDSPOT

“The awesome Girl+Book YA book review blog.....I smiled to see Blue Karma recommended for "tom-boys, tree climbers, adventure seekers, and backyard-campers" because I have answered (or still do) to all of these descriptions....The Girl+Book blog continues to make my day.” - J.K. ULLRICH, AUTHOR OF BLUE KARMA

“I Just Read Girl Plus Book’s Review Of Revelation, And It Made My Night!” - ELLERY KANE, AUTHOR OF LEGACY SERIES

INTERVIEW

Historical Fiction & Partition: An Interview with Melody Razak BY ALYSE MGRDICHIAN

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I love historical fiction novels, and am especially excited when they are debuts—it’s always refreshing to discover new voices. Melody Razak’s MOTH is no exception! Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on June 24, 2021 (and set to be reprinted by Harper on August 9, 2022), MOTH follows a family in 1946 Dehli, leading up to the 1947 separation of Pakistan from India. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, the book’s blurb says it best: “Set during the most tumultuous years in modern Indian history, Melody Razak recreates the painful turmoil of a rupturing nation and its reverberations across the fates of a single family. Powerfully evocative and atmospheric, MOTH is a testament to survival and a celebration of the beauty and resilience of the human spirit.”

MOTH Delhi, 1946. Ma and Bappu teach at the local university. Their fourteen year-old daughter Alma is soon to be married, but she is mostly interested in spinning wild stories for her beloved younger sister Roop. Times are bad for girls in India. The long-awaited independence from British rule brings unrest that threatens to unravel the rich tapestry of Delhi, and when Partition happens, Ma, Bappu, Alma and Roop are forced to find increasingly desperate ways to survive. But the power of hope is an extraordinary thing... 67

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COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS A WRITER? WHAT HAS YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY LOOKED LIKE OVER THE YEARS?

MR: I have always loved reading and, as a child, I spent my free time with books when others might have been playing outside. When I first discovered Roald Dahl’s The Witches, it was as if I had stumbled upon perfection, that a story could feel so mischievous and have characters so transgressive. My first career of choice was always to be a writer but, over the years, I put that aside as an impossible, impractical dream and trained instead to be a pastry chef. As someone who lives in her head, the creative and practical side of cooking brought a welcome balance. Sometime in my mid-twenties I went on a solo trip to Thailand and Laos, and discovered the joy of keeping a travel journal. Over the years I travelled extensively and mostly on my own as an excuse to write. A master’s in creative writing was all the prompt I needed to think about writing as a potential career, so at the age of 40 I made all the necessary changes in order to make that happen. 68

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CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DEBUT NOVEL! WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF WRITING THIS BOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

MR: Thank you! The process of writing MOTH was a dream. I spent a summer researching in the British Library where I looked at newspapers, contemporary essays, historical documents, and travel writing, listened to recordings, read fiction and poetry, and absorbed folktales and Hindu philosophy—I utilized whatever I could get my hands on. I spent the next year living and travelling in India where I wrote every day, with my daily experiences of food and people and colour filtering through into the novel. I was lucky enough to have the time and space to fully immerse myself, and the experience was very rewarding on both a practical and personal level. I wrote a minimum of 1,000 words a day, drank a lot of very good coffee, and every now and again I would lose sight of my word count, of time and hunger, and those were the good days when my

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characters took over. Once I had a 200,000 word first draft, I spent many months fine-tuning and cutting it down to get a manuscript that was ready for submission. I lost entire characters and plot lines in the cutting process, but I’m hoping the nuances and layers are still faintly present in the final book. I also read a great deal of fiction while I was writing, and found words and ideas jumping up at me on every page. Poetry was particularly inspiring, and encouraged me toward playfulness. WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THIS STORY, AND HOW MUCH OF YOURSELF IS IN IT?

MR: The inspiration for MOTH came from a radio programme I heard on Radio 4 one evening, ‘Partition Voices.’ I was struck by the language and held sorrow for those who were being interviewed, and was affected by the enormity of the subject that, previous to that evening, I knew very little about. Once I started reading around events, a skein of stories emerged, and suddenly I had my Brahmin family living in Delhi, and I had the women of that family

who I was desperate to give a voice to. I was also interested in examining the nature of storytelling itself—in particular, oral storytelling, how stories and myth are passed down, and how the intimate details of a woman’s life are as much a part of the fabric of the times as the enormous political and historical shifts that shape her society. It felt like a momentous task for a first novel, but one that I was keen to attempt. The characters of MOTH are fictional and grew out of my imagination, but my deep love for India is very much in the pages, as is my love for food and colour. I spent some time in the textiles museum in Ahmedabad and at a smaller private art gallery (also in Ahmedabad). I was fortunate enough to stumble on the work of Amrita Sher Gill for the first time, and I found her use of colour and subject matter very inspiring. A week at the excellent Jaipur Literary Festival was also a huge source of inspiration, and helped form and give weight to so many of my ideas. So, yes, in a way there is a lot of me in those pages, or at least a lot of that year I spent in India.

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AFTER WRITING YOUR BOOK, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO REVISE AND GET IT PUBLISHED?

MR: I loved the editing process, first with my agent and then with my editor. It felt humbling and enriching to have people read my work and come back to me with such insightful and sensitive ways to improve the structure, relationships, timelines, and so on. The result is a work that I now feel is very collaborative and all the better for it.” WHAT, TO YOU, IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN READING AND WRITING? HOW HAS THIS PLAYED OUT WITH YOUR DEBUT PUBLICATION?

MR: I struggled with my UK publication, which came first. I realised how much of a private, quiet person I am, and also how my love for literature has turned me into a book snob. It also made me realise how far I have yet to come to become the writer I aspire to be. It’s a great point to start from though, always reading, learning and trying to improve my craft. I have just finished A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam and loved the 70

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gentle, meditative tone of a young boy travelling to a funeral. The plot line is very simple, but there is so much weight in his personal relationships and the background of civil war in Sri Lanka. I recently read a selection of short stories by Dorothy Parker and love her wit and humour. Her social criticism is so on point too. I am about to start The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, and one page in I can feel that tingle of expectation when you know you are in for a treat as a reader.” THE COVER OF YOUR BOOK IS BEAUTIFUL — WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF DECIDING ON IT?

MR: The cover is gorgeous! I’m very happy with it. I sent my UK editor a selection of photographs and colour swatches I had taken whilst in India. I also sent a few examples of the various book covers I have admired over the years. We debated a saffron yellow over the blue, but the blue won in the end. It’s such a wonderful shade and I have yet to match an outfit to it.

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WHAT WILL YOUR NEXT PROJECT(S) BE? WHAT CAN FANS OF YOUR WORK LOOK FORWARD TO?

MR: I’m currently working on a very loose re-writing of a Greek myth. The story is set in New York City in 1945, just after the end of World War 2. I examine a world ruptured, a missing

mother, and the deep love felt between siblings. It feels very imaginative and creative and has, so far, been a joy to write. I am deeply enamoured with my characters—perhaps a little too much. They are starting to feel very real to me. There is a playfulness, but there is also great sorrow. I struggle with their sorrow because they mean so much to me. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MELODY RAZAK Melody Razak is a British Iranian fiction writer from London, with an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck. Before she started writing, she owned treacle&co, a cafe in Brighton, and more recently worked in the kitchens of Honey & Co in London as a pastry chef.

Melody’s debut novel, Moth, tells the heartrending story of a Brahmin family living in 1940’s Delhi during India’s Independence and subsequent Partition. It explores the impact of disproportionate violence on the lives of the women who carry so much of the emotional labor during times of political unrest. It probes the structures of an already fractious society, examines who the ‘other’ is, and what it means to be free. It looks too at the domestic sphere, at different types of love, and is ultimately a celebration of the human spirit.

F E AT U R E

Sandwiches as an ‘Excuse’ for Literacy Month. BY WYATT BANDT

To call childhood me a bookworm would have been an understatement. I devoured books, and the only thing that (sometimes) stopped me was my vocabulary. I have a vivid memory of my parents leaving on a vacation during the summer, so my brother and I were at home with a sitter for four days. In preparation, I checked out a stack of books from the library and carefully piled them in the living room where I did most of my reading. By the end of the first day, I finished three novels. The pile was ‘empty’ sometime the third day. I owe my love of literature and writing in a large part to my mother. Growing up, she read to us over lunch, one of the best parts about being homeschooled. She read my brother and me classics and contemporary novels while we munched on sandwiches and pretzels. A favorite was the Sebastian Darke series, a story about a young man who inherited his father’s jester business and travelled about the countryside with his talking and melodramatic buffalope, Max. My mom voiced all the characters, and her rendition of Max sounded a lot like Boo-Boo from Yogi Bear, just a lot more baritone. I was surprised with how much I missed when I reread Lord of the Flies as an adult, and we gave up reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a lunchtime book, but my mom encouraged me to read it on my own. It’s now one of my all-time favorites, and if I 72

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F E AT U R E

CONTINUED

ever have a daughter, Francie is up there on my list of names. November 1 is National Family Literacy Month, and it hopes to promote exactly what I experienced as a child. Research have found correlations between caregiver’s literacy and children’s success in education. The conclusion is that the education of parents largely determines that of their kids. If a parent helps cultivate their kid’s love of reading early, the kid will soon be able to read on their own, which improves writing, reading, and vocabulary skills. I saw this happen to myself as a kid, and I fell in love with books because of my mom and teachers’ help. My mom took us to the library often, and we’d get to pick out the books she’d read to us, and I’d get to pick out a new stack to take home with me. The worst – and potentially best – part about my literacy upbringing was my asking my mother what a word meant, and she’d reply, “You know where the dictionary is.” Unfortunately, many kids don’t have the same upbringing. One in four kids in America grow up without learning how to read, and students who can’t read by third grade are more four times as likely to drop out of school altogether. This second point is of particular concern to a friend of mine who is an educator. He works with students who are struggling, and many are very far behind in literacy where they should be. He often says that one of the biggest challenges in teaching a child is how

uninvolved the parents are. “I just don’t know what to do,” he told me one day. “If they can’t read or do basic math, they’re really going to struggle. And the parents aren’t helping because they expect us to do it, when we need their help too.” If you have kids and even if you don’t, consider celebrating National Family Literacy Month. There are a lot of things you can do. Visit the local library. Read to a niece, student, or child you’re taking care of. If you see a kid reading, engage with them by asking questions. You can also donate unused books to the local library, or even build your own mini-library outside your home. Some of my favorite memories of growing up were reading with my mom. She loved the time she got to spend with us, and I’m so thankful for it. Going forward, I’ll continue to spread the love of reading with kids around me and plan to be involved in National Literacy Month. I already have a good track record: back in middle school, reading to the kids in nursery was always a treat. 

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The Hive

BY MELISSA SCHOLES YOUNG

The Fehler sisters wanted to be more than bug girls but growing up in a fourth- generation family pest control business in rural Missouri, their path was fixed. The family talked about Fehler Family Exterminating at every meal, even when their mom said to separate the business from the family, an impossible task. They tried to escape work with trips to their trailer camp on the Mississippi River, but the sisters did more fighting than fishing. If only there was a son to lead rural Missouri insect control and guide the way through a crumbling patriarchy. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Tripping Past Om

The Fall of Partha

BY STEVE STEPHENSON

War breaks out between the kingdoms of Partha and Zeiglon. The Young wizard, Celedant and his bonded dragon, Azimuth set out to unite the dwarvan clans against the growing threat as the first small step in a grander plan. The Staff of Adaman, an instrument of good, is miraculously brought into play, but with devastating results. A titan clash with the evil Staff of Adois brings about a conflagration that soon threatens to destroy all. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

MY FAVORITE GIRLFRIEND

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Jemma, engulfed in selfloathing from a failed romance and boredom from caring for an autistic brother, plunges herself into a dangerous relationship with a head, a proselytizer of LSD. He soon controls her through the drug and her own false perceptions. She emerges into a life of drugs, sex, and violence. The escapades she experiences, both literally and symbolically, roller coast Jemma into self-awareness. She finds that Om (blessedness) is neither out nor in but who and what she is. Tripping Past Om sensually and lyrically pays tribute to the quest for spiritual and personal value in the postmodern world.

If you crave reading a memoir with passion, romantic suspense, heartbreak, and triumph, with laugh-out-loud humor, then read my book, 'My Favorite Girlfriend.' This book will tantalize you with hilarious, romantic circumstances combined with an exciting, tense, basketball story. This book is an entertaining, brave, and inspiring book with unfolding romantic relationships from beginning to end, reflecting the travails, but excitement of a young fellow's quest to find the girl of his dreams. Would he ever succeed and find true love and happiness?

Available at Amazon.

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Two Tickets to Dubrovnik BY ANGUS KENNEDY

A View From The Languedoc BY ANGUS KENNEDY

Australian wine writer, Andrew Johnston, goes to Dubrovnik to prepare an article for his editor on the wines and wineries of southern Rhône. He meets up with an old Bordelaise wine making acquaintance, Lucien Delasalles, and his step-sister, Niki Menčetić. He becomes embroiled in the murky affairs of Niki and her family and the local police, which leads to his sad departure from the ancient city.

Australian wine writer, Andrew Johnston, is again staying in Europe, this time with his brother, Adrian, for both work and a holiday. During an extensive new wine project from his publisher, he meets up again with a number of his old acquaintances from both France and Dubrovnik, including Niki Menčetić. Whether he can resolve his difficulties with Niki’s life is uncertain.

www.anguskennedybooks.com Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, and Barnes & Noble.

To The East

The Final Programme

The book gives a composite picture of what heaven is like based on the eyewitness testimony of nineteen separate accounts. As a result it gives a more complete picture than any other single book does. All of Scripture’s testimony about heaven is confirmed and many more details God never revealed in His Word. Many readers say it’s a great blessing and have bought extra copies to give away.

In this final novel of the Out of Solitude tetralogy, Australian wine writer, Andrew Johnston, is comatose in a hospital in Sydney, Australia after the events of Međjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His Croatian lover, Niki Menčetić, believes him gone, the victim of a cruel deception by Andrew’s brother, Adrian, and has returned to Dubrovnik. Andrew now has to try to re-establish the rest of his life.

www.anguskennedybooks.com Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, and Barnes & Noble.

BY ANGUS KENNEDY

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Omitted Pieces

These Walls Between Us

Omitted Pieces is a quirky, YA SCI-FI mixed with a dash of thriller and a pinch of romance about a girl on a rescue mission.

Two girls meet in a 1950’s kitchen. Mary, who is Black and 15, works as a summer-time domestic worker for Wendy’s white family. Wendy, at 12, is the family’s privileged daughter. Over sixty-five years, the two co-create a deep friendship. Vivid stories in Wendy's award-winning memoir lift up the obstacles, in society and in herself, to this unlikely friendship. These two complex and accomplished women will stay with you. Their story will spark conversation and change.

BY STEPHANIE HANSEN

It is 2164 and the mad scientist Cromwell has kidnapped Sierra’s mother and set up shop on planet Scepter. In order to save her, Sierra will need the help of friends in this place of glowing leaves and a floating capital. On Vortex, Al has shut down the old facility, but will he be able to join Sierra? What about those who made it to Earth? Are they closer to danger than they realize? Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Feast of Fates

BY CHRISTIAN A. BROWN

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Journey Into Darkness: A Story In Four Parts, 3rd Edition BY J. ARTHUR MOORE

Morigan lives a quiet life as the handmaiden to a fatherly old sorcerer named Thackery. But when she crosses paths with Caenith, a not wholly mortal man, her world changes forever. Their meeting sparks long buried magical powers deep within Morigan. As she attempts to understand her newfound abilities, unbidden visions begin to plague her—visions that show a devastating madness descending on one of the Immortal Kings who rules the land.

Duane Kinkade was ten years old in the summer of 1861 when raiders struck his farm after his pa had gone to the war; eleven the following spring when he left in search of his father and became a part of the war himself; thirteen the summer he returned home, a veteran soldier after two and a half years of army life and battlefield experience. An intricate blend of fact and fiction, the thread of experience of the fictitious boy soldier runs through the fabric of a very real war and its historic violence as it actually happened.

www.christianadrianbrown.com Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.jarthurmoore.com Also Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Mildred the Bird Lady

The Talking Drum

A chance encounter in a chicago park between inquisitive 4-year old Mary and the eccentric Mildred begins a lifelong unconventional friendship. Despite her mother's wishes not to engage with Mildred, Mary finds herself drawn to the kind Bird Lady. Impressed by Mary's independence and creativity, Mildred shares the lessons of her gilded life and becomes a mentor for Mary. In their moments together, Mildred teaches Mary about courtship,manners, ethics, art, culture, and life's little luxuries. Through the twists and turns of Mary's life, Mildred's influence is felt time and time again, like a gentle beacon guiding Mary toward her true passion and purpose.

The fictional city of Bellport, Massachusetts, is in decline with an urban redevelopment project on the horizon expected to transform this dying factory town into a thriving economic center. This planned transformation has a profound effect on the residents who live in Bellport as their own personal transformations take place.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

BY ROSE M. JONES

A Knock in the Attic: True Ghost Stories & Other Spine-chilling Paranormal Adventures BY JOHN RUSSELL

When I was five years old I was awakened by an intrusive ghost who not only scared the wits out of me but who also opened up a portal that activated my psychic gifts and allowed a neverending parade of paranormal manifestations to occur in my life. A Knock in the Attic is my story, not only about my psychic awakening and the abundance of mind-blowing otherworldly confrontations I've experienced, but also about the life lessons those many supernatural encounters have taught me. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

BY LISA BRAXTON

The Talking Drum explores intra-racial, class, and cross-cultural tensions, along with the meaning of community and belonging.

Grounded Eagles

BY HELENA P. SCHRADER

An identity crisis triggered by facial injuries, single parenting in the armed services, and PTSD are the focus of three heartwrenching tales set in WWII by award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader. Find out more about these three critically acclaimed novellas, A Stranger in the Mirror, A Rose in November and Lack of Moral Fibre at: https:// crossseaspress.com/grounded-eagles Buy the collection from amazon in paperback or ebook at: https://www.amazon.com/Grounded-EaglesThree-Tales-WWII/dp/0989159795/ Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 79

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FICTION

ANNIHILATION.

With the death of Lucifer, Queen Lucinda assumes control of Hell, ordering her soldiers to prepare for a doomsday war with Heaven. Craving eternal power, she devours the souls of gifted demonic beings, acquiring their abilities to destroy her perceived political enemies. Meanwhile, the Black Crows meet with the Knights of Darkness in their hidden headquarters, plotting against Lucinda in their efforts to maintain peace and the balance of power. Consumed by hatred over Crighton Daemonium's unrequited love, Lucinda is unaware of the secret conspiracy brewing, or that Lucifer's spirit has returned to Hell inside the body of a soul–trapped demon. Reclaiming his throne, Lucifer punishes his daughter for her act of treason. However, his obsession with Samara, Crighton's beautiful daughter, leaves him incapable of controlling his stolen body. After forcing her into submission, he names Samara the new Queen of Hell yet continues his authoritarian rule. When an insurgency breaks out on Earth, he becomes distracted long enough for her to be kidnapped by Nexus rebel forces, believing her to be the prophesied savior of their planet. Is Samara the Phoenix, destined to destroy Lucifer? Or is she his soulmate and the true Queen of Hell? ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KAYLIN MCFARREN Kaylin McFarren has received more than 60 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious RWA Golden Heart Award nomination for FLAHERTY'S CROSSING - a book she and her oldest daughter, New York Times/USA Today best-selling author Kristina McMorris, co-wrote in 2008. Her award-winning time-travel adventure, HIGH FLYING, asks challenging questions that will linger long after the final twists are revealed. Jumping to the supernatural-horror genre, Kaylin's clever GEHENNA series leads readers into the pit of Hell, through the mechanisms of secret societies, and across the Earth’s crust, ever raising the stakes for her leading duo—a wicked demon and guardian angel presented with shocking revelations. 81

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Thieves, Beasts & Men. This stunning debut uses the irresistible scenario of a hermit living in near-complete self-sufficiency in the wilderness, and asks the universally relevant question: what is the value of existing within a civilization when it is fraught with evil? Adelaide has lived a long, solitary existence in the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the verge of ending it all, she discovers two feral children raiding her garden and rescues them in a misguided attempt at a new life. Now she must find a way to care for children who are more beast than human. They only communicate with chirps and grunts, and they pine for their feral mother. When dangerous men and a wild woman emerge from the darkness in pursuit, Adelaide faces a grueling choice. She can release the children back to the wild, saving her own life but losing everything she has grown to love, or fight to defend her new family, risking the death she no longer seeks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SHAN LEAH Shan Leah is an award-winning fine artist, freelance photographer, and lover/writer of dark literary fiction.

She was inspired to write Thieves, Beasts & Men, her debut novel, because like her protagonist, she has a tendency to romanticize a life of solitude spent deep in the woods. And though not a feral child herself, Shan was born and raised in the Florida Keys, and with more mangroves than streetlights, it was pretty damn close. 82

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Winter of the Wolf. A tragic mystery blending sleuthing and spirituality n exploration in grief, suicide, spiritualism, A and Inuit culture, Winter of the Wolf follows Bean, an empathic and spiritually evolved fifteen-year-old, who is determined to unravel the mystery of her brother Sam's death. Though all evidence points to a suicide, her heart and intuition compel her to dig deeper. With help from her friend Julie, they retrace Sam's steps, delve into his Inuit beliefs, and reconnect with their spiritual beliefs to uncover clues beyond material understanding. Both tragic and heartwarming, this twisting novel draws you into Bean's world as she struggles with grief, navigates high school dramas, and learns to open her heart in order to see the true nature of the people around her. Winter of the Wolf is about seeking the truth--no matter how painful--in order to see the full picture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR MARTHA HUNT HANDLER Martha Hunt Handler grew up dreaming of wolves and has always understood that her role in this lifetime is to tell stories and be a voice for nature. She has been an environmental consultant, a magazine columnist, an actress, and a polar explorer, among other occupations. When she and her four children relocated from Los Angeles to New York more than twenty years ago she began to literally hear the howls of wolves. This marked the beginning of her work advocating on behalf of wolves at the Wolf Conservation Center (nywolf.org). Winter of the Wolf is Martha's debut novel. 83

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The Girl in the Triangle. When your dreams finally seem to be coming true, it's hard to trust them. It's been four years since seventeen-year-old Ruth set eyes on her fiance. After surviving near-starvation, revolution and a long trip across the stormy ocean, she can't help but wonder: Will Abraham still love her? Or has America changed him? Nowhere's as full of change as 1909 New York. From moving pictures to daring clothes to the ultra-modern Triangle Shirtwaist Factory where she gets a job, everything exhilarates Ruth. When the New World even seems to rejuvenate her bond with Abraham, she is filled with hope for their prospects and the future of their war-torn families. But when she makes friends and joins the labor movement-fighting for rights of the mostly female workers against the powerful factory owners-something happens she never expected. She realizes she might be the one America is changing. And she just might be leaving Abraham behind. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOYANA PETERS JOYANA PETERS grew up in New York and loves exploring—this led to her discovery of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the stories it holds. She got her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. She currently lives in the DC area and continues to write narratives that shine a light on empowering women and moments in history.

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Tell Me You Love Me. In 1965 April Toulane's life is turned upside down on her fifth birthday when her mother marries a man she's known for only two weeks. The life she'd known is forever changed with the addition of a stepfather and a five-year-old stepbrother who terrorizes her on a daily basis. After a family tragedy the young siblings are thrust into the Hollywood spotlight, surrounded by people whose very foundation is based on secrets and lies. Struggling to grow up and find their way in a world where child stars are forever manipulated and exploited, the siblings form an unbreakable bond vowing to always protect each other when the adults entrusted to take care of them fail at every turn. "Tell Me You Love Me" is the story of April and Auggie Fairbanks, the most sought after faces in show business throughout the sixties and seventies, maneuvering their way through the lies and corruption to learn the truth about their parents and searching for the love and acceptance they so desperately crave.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KATHLEEN STONE Kathleen has been a freelance writer since 1999 and now writes full time. Her work has appeared in Doll World Magazine, Apolloslyre.com, The Lake County Journals, Trails. com; USA Today (travel), Livestrong.com (lifestyle), Essortment, eHow, Answerbag, Examiner.com, Suite101 and YahooVoices. She is the author of the award-winning novels Tell Me You Love Me and Whispers On A String, and the Head Case Rock Novel Series (Head Case, Whiplash and Haven). She also has short stories published in the Secrets: Fact or Fiction I & II anthologies. 85

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Interview: Demisty Bellinger Debut Author of New to Liberty BY MICHELE MATHEWS

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Demisty Bellinger released her debut novel, New to Liberty, in April. She has written poems and short stories among other things. I had the chance to interview her and learn more about not only her but her new book as well.

Southampton, New York, for an MFA, then to Lincoln, Nebraska for my PhD in English. I have twin daughters who I am absolutely in love with. My love for my little family is uncontainable.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

DB: I teach creative writing at a small, New England regional state university. I’m originally from the Midwest, and no matter how many years I spend here, I can’t quite find my footing. I heard someone say that you are an outsider unless your family came over on the Mayflower and that kind of rings true. Don’t get me wrong. I have found friends here! I think. Still, every day, I miss my hometown of Milwaukee and the Midwest in general. Though the hokeyness there is ofttimes insincere, I still long for the simple kindnesses passed off by strangers. But then, I’m not talking about myself really. I grew up in public schools and was fortunate enough to attend the arts schools. I studied English at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, my first extended stint in rural life. I fell in love there and brought my partner with me while I studied creative writing in

YOU’VE DONE ALL KINDS OF WRITING. TELL US ABOUT YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.

DB: I started writing in preschool, and I did not stop. In grade school, I was encouraged to write by my teachers, and in high school, I spent three years in remedial English. It was horrid, but not. I mean, I got flying colors in the class (I think. My memory is cloudy.), but I flunked the competency exam every year. Demoralizing for an aspiring writer! To this day, I have such a problem with testing that I do not give them out in my classes. I used to, but I found that I don’t like getting physically sick when preparing students or proctoring exams. Publishing my work was a long time coming. A little after my MFA, I won a local poetry contest through the main branch of the Milwaukee Public Library. My poem was published in a limited broadside. I published a few articles after college and during grad school in 87

INTERVIEW

small newspapers and on blogs. I didn’t publish my first short story until I was well into my graduate program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and I didn’t publish my first book of poems until I was employed as a professor. I think I was over forty then. Who keeps counting after twenty-one? Regarding the genres, I write in so many because the writers I enjoyed as a kid—Langston Hughes, Edith Wharton, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and even Stephen King—wrote in many different genres. Alice Walker and Margaret Atwood, I’d argue, are equally good at fiction and poetry. Langston Hughes is probably most famous for his poems, but he’s an excellent essayist, short story writer, and playwright. I thought writing in all genres was required of all writers. Today, I’m still learning how to write different types of documents. Recently, I started writing reviews, which I enjoy a lot more than I thought I would. Once I get comfortable with reviews, I don’t know what I’d do next. Longform journalism seems like fun! WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE NEW TO LIBERTY?

DB: Sunflowers, big skies, the Dust 88

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Bowl, and jackrabbits. When waiting in line at a grocery store, a woman told me about visiting a sunflower field. She said that she felt like being in a walled-in topiary. I loved that imagery, but I can’t remember why she told me about it. The first thing I noticed when I moved to the Great Plains was how much of the sky I could see. No trees or tall buildings blocked my view of that shocking blue sky. I understood then the term big skies. While reading books for my comprehensive exams, which was on working class literature, I read a lot about the Dust Bowl, and my fascination with that phenomenon, made through development and mistreatment of prairie lands, and the people who survived it. I also read about the jackrabbit roundups in Kansas, where hundreds of thousands of rabbits descended on the prairies for food like locusts. Farmers and ranchers rounded up the raiding rodents. Imagery, I suppose. I’m a slut for good imagery, and the Great Plains is rife with it. The imagery of the historical Great Plains partly served as my inspiration. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE YOUR NOVEL IN THREE DIFFERENT

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POINTS OF VIEWS?

DB: I wish I had a brilliant answer here, but I don’t. The structure of the book was a matter of practicality. I wrote Sissily’s story first, which was a short story that got out of hand. Then I added the other two stories. The first iteration of the book was one perspective, but I decided in a later draft to mix the women up chapter by chapter, going forward and backward in time, each with her own voice. New to Liberty is the last version of that structure, and I wanted it in three parts because I wanted each woman to have our undivided attention for her entire tale. NEW TO LIBERTY SPANS THREE DIFFERENT DECADES. WHAT WAS YOUR REASONING FOR DOING THIS?

DB: New to Liberty answers a couple of questions for me: One, who did the people who lived through the worst of the Dust Bowl, those who were able to stay and weather the storms, grow up to be? And two, why would a young person choose to be in a relationship with a much older partner? I tried to answer these questions by

looking at those lives during the Great Depression, then a few years later after WWII to see how these characters fared, then finally, during the 60s. I wanted each storyline to be during eras of great change, but I also wanted the characters to be on the fringes. These are regular Americans in the midst of flux. WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH DID YOU DO WHILE YOU WERE WRITING YOUR NOVEL?

DB: I read a lot of contemporaneous novels from each period, but I also read histories such as Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time. Documentaries offered archival photos and videos as well as first-person accounts of living through these eras, so I ate those up, too. For certain specifics in furniture or cars, I called my parents, who are antique dealers. My dad especially knows a lot about cars, so I asked him about the vehicles the characters drove. My husband grew up in rural Wisconsin, so he knows about farm equipment, so I had a lot of questions for him when writing Greta’s section. Mostly, living and traveling in the Great Plains informed the landscape and inspired the characters in the book. When in Nebraska for grad school, my 89

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husband and I often went on excursions to neighboring states. The seemingly endless fields along I-80, the impromptu conversations with people who had long roots in the area, the skies that both opened up the world and closed it in through their vastness are all rich source materials.

course, I’m still writing poetry. I’m years in on an ekphrasis project. Again, I’m writing reviews! So there’s that.  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS TAKE AWAY AFTER READING NEW TO LIBERTY?

DB: I would like to think that I have two messages: that you can emerge from violence without letting it define you, and that there is always hope. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR WRITING CAREER? DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO WRITE MORE NOVELS?

DB: I am writing a novel now that follows one character who has to decide to stay in the land of the living or go to the other side. It’s a modern-day It’s a Wonderful Life/A Christmas Carol, sans Christmas and including racism and magic. Really, it makes sense! I also have this ever-growing collection of short stories with no connectivity, so it will probably remain in various magazines and on my hard drive. Of 90

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DeMisty Dellinger Besides writing, DeMisty D. Bellinger is a poetry editor at Malarkey Books, an alumni reader at Prairie Schooner, and a professor at Fitchburg State University. She has a BA in English from University of WisconsinPlatteville, an MFA from Southampton College, and a PhD from the University of Nebraska. She is an alum of Bread Loaf and Marge Piercy’s Intensive Writing Workshop. Also, she attended the Vermont Studio Center on a fellowship. DeMisty lives in Massachusetts with her husband and twin daughters.Chile.

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NEW TO LIBERTY Three women, decades apart from each other, fight for love and agency in a rural Kansas community seemingly frozen in time: 1966: Sissily is driving cross-country with a much older man called Ezzy. On their way to California to begin a life together, he insists on stopping at his family ranch outside Liberty, Kansas visit his mother, Mrs. Svoboda. This family reunion is a painful reminder for Sissily of the rumors about the scandal that led to her running away from home, but while Mrs. Svoboda is a domineering figure, Sissily sees a woman who harbors secrets of her own. 1947: Nella's family relocates to Liberty from Milwaukee, and during the summer before her senior year, begins an interracial relationship with a white man called Lucky. They can only meet in secret, or as Lucky is in a wheelchair sometimes Nella pretends to be his nurse. When three white men stumble upon "Nurse Nella" one catastrophic afternoon, the violence of a racist society forces Nella to face the harsh reality of her love affair. 1933: Greta finds love with a woman from the neighboring farm during the height of the Dust Bowl and brutal jackrabbit roundups. Surrounded by violence and starvation, their clandestine encounters are unsustainable, and yet the implications of their relationship will find a way to endure for generations. A novel told in three parts, New to Liberty showcases the growth and strength of three unforgettable women as they evolve in a society that refuses to. In lustrous prose, DeMisty Bellinger brings the quiet but treacherous landscape to life, offering a vivid snapshot of mid-century America and keeping readers guessing until the end as to how these three women are connected. 91

A Fullness of Uncertain Significance: Stories of Surgery, Clarity, and Grace.

Review by Sean Malone, Publishing Consultant with Orange Hat Publishing | Ten16 Press

SMALL PRESS REVIEWS

TEN16 PRESS TEN16 Press, a division of Orange Hat Publishing, housing fiction, non-fiction, YA and poetry books. WWW.ORANGEHATPUBLISHING.COM

“[The book] reflects how each experience made me feel in the moment. Even in times of great distress, there can be delightful discoveries. I was inspired by many of my patients, and the essays about those experiences reflect my awe” - From a TEN16 Press interview with the author, August 2021

Bruce Campbell first began journaling intermittently as a seventeen-year-old nursing assistant, taking notes about new or surprising experiences. That process, which has continued to this day, laid the foundation for Dr. Campbell’s recent release, A Fullness of Uncertain Significance: Stories of Surgery, Clarity, and Grace (2021). The book both chronicles and explores the interactions Dr. Campbell has had with many patients across his vocation as a physician. The book excels in highlighting the empathy and essence of the doctor-patient relationship. Ultimately, these are human interactions, and the lesson of the book is for that reality to be foremost in the minds of physicians as they provide care and treatment for their patients. Reading the book as a layperson completely outside the medical profession, I had a distinct and increased awareness of how care providers are affected by their interactions with patients. The traits, personalities, and lasting impressions of the patients indeed take a central role in the narrative, defining the encounters. This anecdotal and digestible format of about sixty episodes maintains an interesting variety and easy pace for progressing through the book. Additionally, the A

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Fullness of Uncertain Significance covers a considerable span of the author’s life, so that the reader is left with a sense of Dr. Campbell’s own progression during the stages of his career, and to an extent how his writing and observational skills developed alongside each other. Far from being a jargon-heavy or esoteric manual, Campbell’s work is a wholesome and educational collection that benefits a broad audience. One is left with the feeling that intermittent, but continual reflection is a good thing for anyone to engage in, and that patients and physicians can be brought closer together by first reexamining their perceptions of each other. As Dr. Carol Scott-Conner remarked in her review of the book, “The words ‘clarity’ and ‘grace’ take on heightened significance in this honest yet lyrical set of essays… subtle language lays bare a primal relationship. It is impossible

to read this book and not be changed by the experience.” Bruce H. Campbell, MD FACS, is a surgeon who has also published or collaborated on about a hundred scientific articles (in addition to hundreds of blog posts, essays, poems, and short stories). He was a contributing editor to Character and Caring: A Pandemic Year in Medical Education, and continues in encouraging and coordinating healthcare providers to submit further reflective essays. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A FULLNESS OF UNCERTAIN SIGNIFICANCE: STORIES OF SURGERY, CLARITY, & GRACE By Bruce H Campbell When Dr. Bruce H. Campbell first set foot in a hospital as a seventeen-year-old nursing assistant, he observed the best and the worst of doctors, hospitals, and the entire health care team. These lessons returned to him and shaped his own journey as he became a surgeon. Through these well-crafted, poignant, sometimes funny, and always insightful stories, he shares what his patients and their families shared, having never forgotten what it felt like to be a beginner. 93

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From Dissertation to Debut Novel: An Interview with Thuy Da Lam BY ALYSE MGRDICHIAN

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While Shelf Media Group loves to support all kinds of indie writers, debut authors bring us the most joy—they have their whole career ahead of them, and have just taken one of scariest first steps toward it. How exciting! One of these authors is Thuy Da Lam, whose debut novel was published by Red Hen Press on September 17, 2019. Fire Summer, Lam’s debut, is a literary tale of familial duty and the tragedies of war—with that in mind, I was very excited to read her book and interview her! Below you can find the novel’s blurb, followed by our conversation. ____

FIRE SUMMER You can go home again. When twenty-three-year-old Maia Trieu, a curator’s assistant at the Museum of Folklore & Rocks in Little Saigon, Orange County, is offered a research grant to Vietnam for the summer of 1991, she cannot refuse. The grant’s sponsor has one stipulation: Maia is to contact her great-aunt to pass on plans to overthrow the current government. The expatriates did not anticipate that Maia would become involved with excursions in search of her mother or attract an entourage: an American traveler, a government agent, an Amerasian singer, and a cat. Maia carries out what she believes is her filial role to her late father, a former ARVN soldier, by returning to their homeland to continue the fight for an independent Vietnam. Along the way, however, she meets a cast of characters—historical and fictional, living and dead—who propel her on a journey of self-discovery through which she begins to understand what it means to love. 95

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COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS A WRITER? WHAT HAS YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY LOOKED LIKE OVER THE YEARS?

TDL: I grew up in a household in which reading was one of the few pastimes. My older brother was enthralled with Vietnamese translations of Chinese martial arts stories, so when we arrived in America, the first books I borrowed from a public library in South Philadelphia were the unabridged translated volumes of The Journey to the West. Around fifteen, I discovered romance novels by authors such as Janet Dailey, Jude Deveraux, Johanna Lindsey, and Nora Roberts. I was forever hooked on reading. At Hamilton College in upstate New York, I had intended to major in biology until a professor noted my unremarkable grades in my science courses. Having read my creative writing portfolio, he encouraged a detour: drop the sciences, sign up for poetry with Agha Shahid Ali, and complete an independent study on Vietnam. I graduated with a BA in creative writing and went on to receive a PhD in English literature from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DEBUT NOVEL! WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF WRITING THIS PROJECT LIKE FOR YOU? I HEAR THAT IT IS A REVISION OF YOUR DISSERTATION.

TDL: The seed for Fire Summer was planted in me the moment we left Vietnam without my mother. I wrote so that I could see her again. Many details were taken from my experience, yet those who know my life story have assured me that the novel is not autobiographical. In this way, writing Fire Summer was an exhilarating journey of the mind and a soothing balm for the soul. I knew the beginning and ending. I had to figure out the why’s and how’s in-between. It took over a decade to get from the opening to the final scene in a way that made sense to me. I drew on everything around me to connect the dots—from readings in graduate school to America’s Got Talent to interactions with people, nature, and animals. The inspired moments were when I was able to make creative leaps to see beyond the separateness of our individual lives, observing the interconnectedness of our seemingly discreet experiences. These

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moments helped me move the story from the first to last page. I was born in central Vietnam during the war, but I was too young to have personal memories of war. My knowledge of history is from the books and media I consumed. I researched issues that illuminated the historical and philosophical underpinnings of my narrative. My research was motivated by the need to understand the historical and cultural forces that influence my characters’ actions. I was interested in accounts of the Indochina wars, the American involvement, postwar Vietnam, and the Vietnamese diaspora. I explored Daoism and the Buddhist concept of interdependence to guide my thinking on life and death, war and peace. Zhuangzi’s view of death as transformation and Thich Nhat Hanh’s concept of ‘interbeing’ inform my understanding of the interconnectedness of living and dying. I also traveled to the places that I was writing about—the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the Vietnamese-Cambodian border, a bridge in central Vietnam, and a prison in the new economic zone in Song Be. The trip allowed me to experience the places that previously existed only in my reading, writing, and imagination.

The experience still influences the way I present historical details in fiction. I see the past, present, and future as dialogic and layered—like a palimpsest of events and people, living and dead. AFTER WRITING YOUR BOOK, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO REVISE AND GET IT PUBLISHED?

TDL: I write slowly, so I revised and edited as I went along. The revision I made for my editor was mostly clarifying and making the subtle more explicit. I regret I couldn’t make the narrative more direct. A satisfying aspect of publishing was requesting a blurb from Charles Johnson, who not only said yes but also—by chance—carried the manuscript with him on a trip to Indonesia. I’m deeply comforted by his action, as it happened that the South China Sea off the shore of Indonesia is the real life site of the opening passage to the novel. What’s wonderful is the fact that the novel is now available at libraries in places such as Chicoutimi, Mentone, Bormla, Doha, and Pretoria. How cool is that, especially for a homebody author who gets motion sickness and doesn’t travel much?

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THE COVER OF YOUR BOOK IS GORGEOUS — WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF DECIDING ON IT?

TDL: Red Hen Press managing editor Kate Gale chose the cover! I’m absolutely in love with the cover as it captures the spirit of the book. It is a painting by the artist Duong Ngoc Son, from northern Vietnam. The fact that he’s from the North and I’m from the South is meaningful for me as I hope we work towards reconciliation. WHAT WILL YOUR NEXT PROJECT(S) BE? WHAT CAN FANS OF YOUR WORK LOOK FORWARD TO?

TDL: Fire Summer, a story about finding a home in a world of borders, is a novel I had to write. It’s about transcending illusory borders— geographical, temporal, and spiritual— to go home again. It is a work of re-imaging Vietnam in the grand and beautiful in order to make my essential gesture. My second project, Heaven in a Wildflower, is a novel I want to write to cultivate a sense of wonder about our world. It is a story about a night telescope operator seeking the universe's origin, and a pentimento looking for her referent. It begins with an astronomer lovingly viewing a century-old painting

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the way she observes the night sky; her gaze brings a pentimento into being, a figure painted over by a 19th-century banished king of Annam, who wished to erase his homeland and first love from memory. The novel explores Einstein's question: ‘How can individuals free themselves from the optical delusion of separateness in order to broaden the circles of connectivity to embrace the whole of nature, its living beings and beauty?'  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thuy Da Lam was born in Qui Nhơn, grew up in Philadelphia, and now lives in Honolulu, where she works on her next book and teaches at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa Outreach College. Lam holds a BA in creative writing from Hamilton College and a PhD in English from UH Mānoa. She received the George A. Watrous Literary Prize for Fiction, a Myrle Clark Writing Award, and the John Young Scholarship in the Arts. Her debut novel, Fire Summer, is a revision of her dissertation, part of which appeared in Lost Lake Folk Opera in commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

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[Expletive] Censorship: The Importance of Banned Books Week BY WYATT BANDT

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A school teacher near where I live caused quite a stir earlier in March when he read Jackie & Me, a children’s story about the Black Major League Baseball player, in class. It was pretty standard fare apart from the fact he also said the n-word aloud while reading it.

through October 2 is so important. It makes us think about censorship. Along with that, it brings attention to those whose voices are being silenced. Censorship Is Complicated Censorship isn’t a new thing, and all of us have experienced it. And, there are many different kinds.

There was community outrage. Some defended the teacher, some said the entire situation was wholly inappropriate, and some fell more in the middle, saying the book was appropriate but the teacher saying the slur was not. The book’s author, Dan Gutman, caught wind of the controversy and said in a now-deleted Facebook post that leaving out the n-word and other racial slurs would have been “sugarcoating the truth."

The first time the f-word was said on U.S. television was in 1981 on “Saturday Night Live” by Charles Rocket. He was subsequently fired.

The book was rumored to be removed from the school’s library, but that’s not been confirmed.

Many companies, including Magic: The Gathering, choose to censor media for China, removing imagery of bones and skeletons because they’re seen as bad luck or bad omens in the culture.

All the same, many books are taken from school shelves each year for being ‘controversial’ or ‘inappropriate.’ This is why Banned Books Week, which takes place September 26

Muslim authorities banned the 2022 Pixar film “Lightyear” in thirteen countries and the Palestine territory because of a lesbian kiss. Facebook censors misleading content about COVID-19.

These are some of the more recent and less bloody examples of censorship, but they cover a few key arguments often surrounding 101

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censorship: what is appropriate, what is moral, what is authentic, and what is sensitive? Disregarding those, the other motive is simply control, which is a whole other discussion. Censorship is often viewed as a negative thing, but some of these examples are positive. Stopping the spread of misinformation is a good thing. Being culturally sensitive is a good thing. Swearing on television, it depends on who you ask, but removing it altogether has no major negative side effects. However, some of these examples negatively impact the world. The censorship of “Lightyear” rejects the reality of the LGBTQ population. Unfortunately, censorship is the norm in many Middle Eastern countries, and it extends beyond this particular area. To make a blanket statement, censorship becomes negative when it both denies reality and controls people without a regard to what they may want. Not only does it make certain groups invisible, that silence can lead to a taboo building around a topic or even discrimination. For example, many say Florida’s new “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans

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instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in early education if it’s not “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate” according to “state standards,” marginalizes and attacks LGBTQ people because it makes it seem like it shouldn’t be said. Starting that mindset young, that certain people’s lifestyles shouldn’t be allowed in certain settings or talked about, sets a dangerous precedent. Especially in a place that’s meant to be used for learning. The Purpose of Banned Books Week Banned Books Week launched in the 1980s around the time the U.S. Supreme Court told schools that books can’t be banned from schools simply because of their content. More than forty years later, the movement reaches around 2.8 billion readers and more than 90,000 publishing industry and literary subscribers. The goal of the movement is to make sure that people can express ideas, even if those ideas are unusual or unpopular. American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom monitors

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books that are “challenged” at schools across the country, focusing on books that address racism, racial justice, or those that share the stories of Black, Indigenous, or people of color. According to their list of most challenged books, many are challenged, banned, or restricted because they contain LGBTQ , sexual content, profanity, racism, or abuse, among other things. The quoted reasons are my favorite though, such as calling Persepolis “politically, racially, and socially offensive” even though it’s an autobiography. While some of these things are commonly considered to be inappropriate for a school setting – profanity, racism, or sex – that doesn’t mean they aren’t very real things that happen in the world that people, children, deserve to know about. Hiding it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Anyone should be able to pick up and read a book about themselves, and just because something is in a piece of media – like racism or abuse – it doesn’t mean the media is saying that’s okay. Abuse is a horrible, ugly thing, but when a child who is being abused has a chance to see a protagonist find freedom from their abuser, the world is a better place. I myself grew up in a rural, fairly

sheltered, unintentionally censored household. I was homeschooled and isolated until my third year of high school, and it wasn’t until I’d been in the “real world” for a few years that I learned that growing up like that had some noticeable effects on how I viewed the world. I looked down on people who drank, partied, swore, and had sex. I’d never been friends with a person of color or someone who was gay, despite being surrounded by harmful stereotypes about them. I’d have by no means considered myself a bad person, even in retrospect I don’t, but I certainly was ignorant. I wish I had learned one thing sooner: we’re all people, and we’re all trying our best. Empathy was the answer, and that was only gained after I spent enough time coming into contact with different lifestyles, views, and upbringings. The slogan for Banned Book Week 2022 is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom says that sharing stories is sharing ourselves. Like the author Charles Jones said, you’re the same person you will be five years from now, the only difference is the people you meet and the books you read. 103

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Banned Books Week helps us do that. Censorship in Moderation Now that I’ve been in the real world for a while now, I know what a condom is. I have a gay friend. I don’t do drugs or drink because I don’t even like how caffeine makes me feel, but I’m friends with people who do them recreationally and still live healthy lives. I had a professor in university who read a passage from a Black author’s book, the name of which I can’t recall. What I do remember is that he told us the author used the n-word in the book, but he wasn’t going to say it aloud during the in-class reading. He said, while he believed the author was appropriate in using the n-word as part of their personal history, he didn’t believe it was appropriate for him as a White man to say it because of the history surrounding the word. However, it would be treading on the work of the author and American history to ignore its inclusion, so he just raised his eyebrows and shrugged in lieu of saying it. Ultimately, it’s up to an individual reading to decide what is and isn’t appropriate. Disclaimers on some things may be helpful – like knowing ahead of time if a book contains sex, swearing,

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violence – and then education around other topics would be helpful as well. It’s the job of a school to teach, so kids shouldn’t be thrown into the deep end without being educated on the certain topics. While I think some censorship is okay – it’s a personal preference, but I don’t want to be surrounded by sex, swearing, and violence all the time – we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about the world. Even if some things are painful or scary, we should still talk about them. Some people are still marginalized, so we should especially talk about them. In a country that prides itself on freedom, Banned Books Week is more American than many laws passed in the U.S. of late. The week is about more than just reading, it’s about standing up and fighting for expression. If you’re interested in learning more about Banned Book Week and want to get involved, visit the ALA’s website to learn more. 

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RETURN OF PODSTER!

Shelf Media Group's digital magazine about podcasts and podcasters.

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Bonnets at Dawn.

BY LAUREN AND HANNAH

FIND YOUR NEXT PODCAST BY GABBY GUERRA

Podster is a column for podcast listeners and serves as a curator for the best of known and unknown podcasts.

BONNETS AT DAWN BY LAUREEN AND HANNAH

About the Podcast Bonnets at Dawn is a show that explores the lives and works of women writers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Austen vs. Brontë is a literary thunderdome! Listen each week as Lauren and Hannah compare and contrast the lives, work and fandoms of the Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. READ THE INTERVIEW ON THE NEXT PAGE. 107

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TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF/ SELVES.

our carefully laid plans were derailed by Elizabeth Gaskell.

BAD: In a nutshell, we’re both writers

Shortly after the podcast began, we had the opportunity to volunteer at Elizabeth Gaskell’s literary home in Manchester, where we hosted a panel about her connections to Charlotte Brontë. There, we had many discussions about the female authors that had been missing from our English courses and our desire to expand our knowledge. So we decided to keep researching and recording, and bit by bit we branched out to cover women writers like Frances Harper, Pauline Hopkins, L.M. Montgomery, Beatrix Potter…and the list goes on and on.

in our 30’s who share a love of travel and history. We first met at an indie comics festival back in 2012, and have always wanted to work together, which was (and still is) a challenge since we’re on opposite sides of the pond. I (Lauren) live in Chicago in the US, and Hannah is in Bristol in the UK. Then, in 2017, we both wanted a bit of a break from the comics scene and started throwing ideas around for a project that would focus on our other great love - classic literature. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH THE PODCAST? BAD: The show actually started out

as an idea for a book called Austen vs Brontë: Bonnets at Dawn, which was meant to be a literary thunderdome that compared and contrasted the work of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. We used the first season of the podcast to help us research and outline the chapters as well as set writing deadlines. It was meant to be fun and cheeky, and only twelve episodes, but 108

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Ultimately, Austen vs. Brontë was axed, but funnily enough, the podcast actually did become a book in 2021. Chronicle Books published our collection of essays and comics (expertly drawn by Kale Bales) entitled Why She Wrote. It's not the book that we originally set out to write, but hey, the show is so different too! And our big takeaway from this is never be afraid to grow, change course and follow your interests!

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interview loads of historians, academics, and curators to help inform and broaden our perspective. We also host read-alongs where we invite our listeners and experts to discuss classics like Northanger Abbey, Agnes Grey, and The Blue Castle.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PODCAST? BAD: Bonnets at Dawn is a show that explores the lives and works of women writers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. We try our best to balance the silly and the serious, and have explored topics ranging from anti-slavery literature of the Victorian age to literary ghost sightings. You’d be surprised by how many authors come back from the dead to haunt libraries and museums (we’re looking at you, Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Barrett Browning). Neither of us are academics, but we both studied storytelling and work in publishing, so we tend to discuss our subjects and their work from that lens. We do, however,

The episodes that are most near and dear to our hearts are the road trip diaries where we take the show on the road to literary festivals and places like the Jane Austen House Museum, Brontë Parsonage, and Wordsworth Grasmere. Not only do we get to travel and spend time together, but we also get to take a peek behind the scenes at some of these amazing sites. Sadly, our traveling days have been halted due to the pandemic, but we’ve been experimenting with some new formats to replace our road trip diaries, including our B@D Mixtapes, where we bring in actors to read short works by some of our favorite authors.

WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING AND MOST SATISFYING PART OF RUNNING A PODCAST? BAD: For me (Hannah) the most

challenging and most satisfying parts go hand in hand. I get very nervous about not being qualified to co-host 109

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a show that skews more to academia so I really struggle with imposter syndrome around that. The most satisfying part is getting to learn from our guests who really are experts in their field. There's a funny push and pull between fans of the classics and academics and I feel like Bonnets sits nicely in between these. And for me (Lauren), the most challenging aspect is definitely time. We have a lot of pre-production work to do including scouting and scheduling guests, reading (so much reading) and writing. Then you have to tape, edit, and promote. Trying to balance all of that on top of work and motherhood can be a lot. But the upside is that we get to have these amazing conversations with academics, writers, and historians about work that they feel really passionate about and that is always so energizing and inspiring to me. HOW DID YOU GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT YOUR PODCAST IN THE BEGINNING, AND HOW HAVE YOU GROWN YOUR AUDIENCE? 110

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BAD: The usual way - social media

and word of mouth. We were lucky to have some amazing supporters early on that spread the word. And we’ve always been up for a live show - we’ve moderated panels and recorded live events at Jane Austen Festivals, the Brontë Parsonage, Page One bookstore, and Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE EPISODES? BAD: My (Hannah) favourite episode

was the road trip diary where we visited Anne Lister's house, Shibden Hall, in 2019. It's the last roadtrip we were able to do before the pandemic hit so it feels special for that reason but also, these are the most fun to record. Just running around the UK or America, visiting literary homes and learning about our favourite authors! I’m (Lauren) tempted to pick the episode where we traveled to Jane Austen House Museum and, just by chance, had the house to ourselves as my favorite, but I am going to pick an episode that I think about a lot, which was an interview with writer/director

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Madeleine Olnek about her film Wild Nights with Emily Dickinson. That was part of a series where we talked to writers, artists, and directors about the challenges of adapting literary works and lives to stage, page, and screen. And, as someone who aspires to adapt, it was such a valuable conversation.

and Twitter (@bonnetsatdawn) and we have a Facebook group where most of our read-a-ong discussions get posted. Our listeners are super insightful and funny and it's been so great to have these spaces to bounce ideas around and get an even deeper understanding of the books we cover.

WHAT IS YOUR UPLOADING SCHEDULE, AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE WORST BESTSELLERS IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS?

Bonnets at Dawn can be found on Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spotify and iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.

BAD: We break the show down into

mini-series and when we're “on” the episodes are weekly.

We just finished a 7 parter on literature and race so we're currently working on the next series, a George Eliot readalong, which will drop in September. If you can't wait that long we have a new mixtape coming soon and if you can't wait that long we have a massive archive of episodes ready and waiting. WHERE CAN LISTENERS FIND BUZZING ABOUT ROMANCE? BAD: You can find us on Instagram 111

Trolls and other real-world monsters. by Chrissy Brown | C.A.A.B Publishing

PRIDE & PUBLISHING

C.A.A.B PUBLISHING CAAB Publishing Ltd is a traditional, small, indie company helping unknown authors have a voice and inspiring new writers to take that first step into the world of publishing. WWW.CAABPUBLISHING.CO.UK

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Never feed the troll! We all know that line but what if the troll is disguised as a sweet and helpful person? You reply, you offer to help, you engage, you find yourself in the middle of a war you didn’t start, didn’t want, and have no idea how to end. As an author you have to put yourself out there. You need to be in the public eye and that usually leads to people noticing you, which can lead to a troll infestation. But it is not just the trolls that are a worry on social media. There are creepers too. No not the sort from the popular, kids, block game but people who watch, who send messages to your contacts and then attack you on social media. Why? Who knows? Because they are bored? Because they are nasty? Because they crave attention? Because the pixie that lives inside their ear told them too? Some of these people may have mental health issues and that is not something to laugh at, it should invoke sympathy but that is difficult when you are getting death threats or being called horrible things by someone you do not know. Then there are jerks. Those that message you with a perfectly reasonable question or comment and you answer them, but then they have you in their sights. You have communicated, and the messages will then not stop, they will get nastier and more personal. The jerk will continue to bother you until you block them. Some are clever and will come back with another account, they can be relentless. Lastly, scammers. We have all heard the warnings, but these guys are slick, and they know their business. Some may offer promotion, publication or a helping hand. They all want your money. They may say they admire your work, they may try to chat you up and act as though they want a real relationship. They may try breaking you down, getting you into a vulnerable state and then … wham! Money please! Or they may try to be friends and then play on your sympathies and kindness. Some authors have even found themselves in the firing line, when scammers steal their photos and their names and use these to scam others. Be vigilant. Never give people online money and be aware of the latest scams. It is easy to say DO NOT ENGAGE, but often very tough to do. But it can be the only way. That is why celebrities do not give out their phone number or email address to fans and why most have someone else monitoring their social media. The world is full of keyboard warriors, trolls, creepers, jerks, scammers and just plain

horrible people. So, what can you do? Ignore them? Block them? Sure. Just remember that a troll will die if it is starved of the attention it seeks. Do not answer private messages from people you do not know, and we mean that you have met in person and actually know them, not just have a connection online. Do not get drawn into a debate or argument about something. State the facts and then log off. The troll can rant and rave, but others will soon step in and support you, if you stick to the facts. You do not need to deal with the troll. Tell someone, if the messages get really nasty then report the user and let your family know what has happened, this can be vital as many trolls/creepers/jerks/scammers will then move on to those in your friends list. Check your privacy setting. Do not give out more information than you need to. Be careful. Would you strike up a conversation with a stranger in the street, one that was keeping their face hidden (as a profile picture means nothing) or one that wouldn’t give you their real name? If you can, get someone else to run your social media, as a writer you need a thick skin but sometimes it can all get too much. Have someone else look at the messages, even if you are only a tiny bit suspicious, your gut will be trying to tell you this is not right, listen to it.

Do research into people and the companies they say they work for. Is the company real? Do they have someone with this person’s name working for them? Can you contact that person via the webpage? Reverse image search anything that is sent to you. You can also do this with profile pictures. Get to know all you can without relying on the information provided and see where the trail leads you. This can be fun if you manage to unmask the troll or call out the scammer. Never give anyone your phone number or home address. Think before you type. Do you really need to answer that message, comment, or tweet? Can you just delete it and move on? Call out a bully, if you see them trolling a fellow author. It may make you a target, but if we stand together the troll will get blocked and ignored and will not be able to cause the bad feelings it wanted. Use a pen name, this can stop a majority of the issues as the troll or scammer cannot find the real you. Be cautious, think before you add a picture or a comment, does it give too much of you away? BUT do not be afraid. Stand up for yourself. Do not let the bad element win. You will find so many people willing to speak up and support you. That is the side of social media you must concentrate on. Be encouraged that the light will always defeat the darkness. You can slay the troll. 

FEATURED BOOK FROM C.A.A.B

AVA BY LYDIA BAKER First, they came for the city and we allowed it, they put up the Barrier and we stayed quiet, silenced by the fear of what was beyond. Our elderly were next and still we didn’t cry out; then they came for the women, removed their fertility and stole our future, so I hid. I became Alec and I turned my back on my true self, Ava. Ava can’t live as Alec any longer, the lie is killing her, destroying all that she is. The world beyond MTech’s Barrier calls to her and she can’t ignore it. She has to know what, if anything, survived the terrible day that tore her family apart fourteen years ago. But what if the Outside is far more dangerous than anything Ava has ever faced on the Inside?

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LESSIONS FROM DR SUESS. BY V. JOLENE MILLER

READING ON THE RUN Binge reading on the run because everything else can wait. ABOUT THE COLUMNIST

In Alaska, I’m a behavioral health instructor by day and a Ph.D. student by night. When I’m not teaching, I have my nose in a textbook or a scholarly article. These days, my writing is nonfiction and my puppy, Omar, is lucky if I can spare ten minutes to play fetch. I still carry a book in my purse because I hope to get a few minutes to read. Fifteen minutes before dawn, in between assignments, or right before falling into bed. Reading is my resting place.

I love Dr. Seuss’s works. His enjoyable mix of poetry, short stories, and fantasy worlds are a delight. There’s the fact that he makes up words - an activity that I believe all writers are entitled to participate in. Plus, his writing alluded to what I can only imagine as his somewhat quirky style. Recently, while mowing the lawn, I reflected on the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs, and Ham. Although I’m not a fan of eggs (of any color) or ham, I thought about how Sam, after being persuaded to try this food, was so enamored with the delicacies that he was agreeable to eating them anywhere, everywhere, and with almost anyone. In a house with a mouse. In the rain, on a train. In a boat, with a goat. You get the idea. It occurred to me that books and book enthusiasts are quite similar. Consider the last few months and your reading selections. Where did you go? Which books did you read? Did you notice other readers? How frequently did you crane your neck just so in hopes that you’d catch a glimpse of the title they carried? Perhaps, you sent your friend or loved one on a random errand that required them to walk past that person carrying a book to bring back that coveted literary information: author, title, the picture on the cover? During the last several weeks, I… Read a counseling book on a plane.

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And again, while lying out by a pool. I read my dissertation manuscript at my desk, In my chair, and thought about it while I washed my hair. I read a novel in a chair. I smiled as I read pages of poetry on slips of paper stacked right over there. But, due to homework, I did not read every single book while going everywhere. Okay, so I’m no Dr. Seuss, but you get the idea. Books are mobile! We can take them anywhere while they, ironically, take us on amazing adventures. Yet, as I’ve carried my books to various places, I have also worked hard to immerse myself in my surroundings while letting my mind and imagination wander to faraway lands. (It hasn’t always been easy. It turns out I’m not great at relaxing.) In Vegas, I leaned into a plastic pool chair and basked in the sensation of the hot June sun. I alternately cozied up to my husband on the plane and pressed my forehead into the new traveling pillow during reading breaks. And at home, my favorite place to read, I cuddled beneath my blanket and listened to my cat purr as I read the poetry my late mother-in-law wrote over the years. I guess my point is, while you’re enjoying your next favorite read, don’t forget to stay grounded where you are. Don’t forget to

connect with those around you and make new friends along the way. As I read my mother-in-law’s poetry, I was struck by just how much she and I had in common. We shared a love for words that inspire and empower others. We could have connected over a deep love for family. Unfortunately, we maintained separate writing lives and never bonded over our love for words. Along the way, introduce your love of reading and words to the little ones in your life. I recently had the immense pleasure of taking my granddaughter and her little brother to the library for the first time. It’s true; we read only half a book. However, we also colored at the arts & crafts table, put together puzzles, and completed a book cover scavenger hunt. The whole experience was pure joy. Did I get to check out the new arrivals? No. Did I have a free hand to carry a stack of books to the car? Hardly. Did I leave wondering what the end of that storybook was all about? Yep. Would I do it all again? Absolutely. It’s about balance, connection, adventure, and sharing those things with your loved ones. Take it from me…and Dr. Seuss. 115

Blue House Books. KENOSHA, WI

WWW.BLUE-HOUSE-BOOKS.COM

F E AT U R E D I N D I E B OO K S TO R E

BACKGROUND INFO ABOUT YOURSELF AND BLUE HOUSE BOOKS BHB: I have always been a big reader, and I always wanted a career in some type of writing or editing field. I first explored journalism, because I loved the research and meeting all kinds of people, but realized in my senior year of my undergrad career that it wasn't what I wanted to do day-to-day. After working in the industry for a year and still not loving it, I decided to explore the world of publishing. I attended Oxford Brookes University in the UK and earned my Master of the Arts Degree in Book Publishing in 2016. After returning to the states, I was struggling to find a job in the Midwest, and so I began Blue House Books as a pop-up shop with the intention that it was just to stay in the industry while I searched for a way to start my career in publishing. Jobs still weren't becoming available, and so Blue House Books ended up slowly growing. Without even realizing it, I fell in love with bookselling! I was working with people 116

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again, researching what great books were coming out, interacting with publishing companies, and eventually started hosting literary events. I was a micro-bookstore for a few months, open nights and weekends as I still had a full-time office job--then COVID hit. It was a very unsure time, and I wasn't confident that a bookstore was the right move at the time. But to my surprise, I got busier! People were craving entertainment at home in those early days of stay-at-home orders and quarantine. Schools closed and parents looked for ways to fill the gap. All this led to the need for books, puzzles, study aides, and more items that I was able to provide. Blue House Books turned into a pickup and delivery service--sometimes making more than a dozen deliveries a day while still working a full-time job--and the increase in business gave me the capital and confidence to open my first brick-andmortar location. I quit my job in July 2020, opened Blue House Books in September 2020, and moved to a bigger location in September 2021.

F E AT U R E D I N D I E B OO K S TO R E

WHAT KIND OF READING TRENDS DO YOU SEE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS? BHB: BOOKTOK! Booktok is definitely the big trend right now for bookstores. If a book goes viral on TikTok, we know it will be a big seller and we need to get in as many copies as we can! It could be a steamy romance, a psychological thriller, or the latest book-turned-movie. With our customers specifically, we see a lot of sales in fiction both in adult and kids books. WHAT OTHER SERVICES AND/ OR PRODUCTS DO YOU PROVIDE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS? BHB: We also offer a wide range of events for our community. We recently held a used book exchange, where customers brought in their books from home and exchange them with books from someone else's library. We also recently held a workshop for guests wanting to becoming better plant parents. Our favorite events to host are author events, either launch parties for new books or guest appearances to talk with readers. As we have

grown, we have been able to get in some great writers, such as Christina Clancy, Hannah Morrissey, Greta Kelly, Jeneva Rose, and more. We have some big events coming up that we can't wait to share with our customers and followers! WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT OWNING AND WORKING IN AN INDIE BOOKSTORE? BHB: I absolutely love coming to work everyday, although it's not always as glamorous as some people think. People have a very romantic idea of what owning a bookstore is like, and a lot of it is true: I'm surrounded by books all day, I get to talk about what I love, I get a TON of free books, and I get to meet authors! But there's also a lot more to it that's not so romantic: lots of spreadsheets, financial planning, marketing, and cardboard cute (which are WAY worse than papercutes!). But no matter what task I'm doing--whether it's something exciting like planning an author event or something tedious like bookkeeping--I still love what I do, because it all contributes to bringing books to my community.

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Uncertain Times.

BY CHRISTIAN ADRIAN BROWN

FIT LIT Body, Mind and Quill

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST

Quadragenarian fitness model, lifestyle coach and bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Feast of Fates, Christian A. Brown received a Kirkus star in 2014 for the first novel in his genrechanging Four Feasts till Darkness series. He has appeared on Newstalk 1010, AM640, Daytime Rogers, and Get Bold Today with LeGrande Green. He actively writes and speaks about his mother’s journey with cancer and on gender issues in the media.

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"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity." –Gilda Radner

Gilda's mindset mirrors mine. When I was young and idealistic, I had a "perfect" vision of my life, successes, and accomplishments. But unfortunately, adulthood served as a painful lesson for me and many as a contrast between fantasy and actualization. We can't have everything we want, do everything we want to do and be everything we dream of being; our finite time won't allow that. So, early on, we're forced to make decisions that grant or deny us access to opportunities. There's no rewind button, no going back or "doing better" unless that "betterment" comes from future decisions. I believe that's part of what our society grapples with: how to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives while reconciling wants with needs in a world rife with desire. Look around, and all you see are red, burning flags. Our economies have imploded, and food and energy are in scarce supply. Our politicians appear detached, at best, and involved in Machiavellian oversight, at worst. It is difficult to know who you can trust, what you can say or even what information you receive

that wasn't twisted to suit another's agenda. We have become paranoid, fearful and constantly anxious. We are a society riddled with mental health issues and without the resources to combat that new, barely acknowledged pandemic. We're not without hope in our existential struggle for meaning, and here is where books guide us. But first, we have to understand the nature of our struggle, and one of the best modern books I've read to help us define ourselves, our needs and our world was Existentialism: A Reconstruction. Without the florid ramblings often seen in older texts, Existentialism cuts right to the bone of the school of thought. The book helps you understand, spatially and psychologically, how you see and connect with the world and attempts to define the many complex relationships therein. Perhaps after your soul-searching, you'll find that you're not an existentialist but a spiritualist: a person who doesn't need to unravel their environment or thoughts but can exist on blind and hopeful faith.

The critical part of this exercise is the deep pondering of yourself, your meekness or greatness, your humanity and your flaws. We cannot know, interact and heal ourselves, society or the world without first knowing ourselves and being confident in our actions. Do not be another idolater or charlatan preaching virtue and false hope, polluting Instagram with your inanities. Instead, discover what makes you human and what you can do to enrich this world, even if that only amounts to improving the lives of your loved ones and family. Love them like no other, and that kindness, compassion and true understanding will grow roots and spread. I realize I've waxed philosophical today, but spiritual health is a component of the holy trinity of wellness: mind, body and spirit. We cannot be whole without nourishing all parts. And we cannot expect the world to be perfect without first doing the hard, critical and gruelling work on our minds and attitudes. I wish you the best in that journey. —C  119

BOOKS IN REVIEW BR

SHELF UNBOUND’S

Books In Review Self-Published & Small Press Book Reviews

Indie Debuts: August /September 2022 - Shelf Unbound

Articles inside

Interview: Kim Hooper By Michele

Indie Reviews

Fit Lit Christian Brown

Reading on the Run V. Jolene Miller

Indie Bookstore

Pride & Publishing Chrissy Brown

Podster Gabrielle Guerra

Expletive] Censorship: The Importance of Banned Books Week By Wyatt

Sandwiches as an ‘Excuse’ for Literacy

Small Press Reviews Sean Malone

From Dissertation to Debut Novel An Interview with Thuy Da Lam By Alyse

Girl Plus Book Megan Lord

Interview: Demisty Bellinger Debut Author of, New to Liberty By Michele

16 New & Upcoming Memoirs to Dis